Divergence
by Nawaki
Summary: [AU] An impossible achievement brings about great changes in the stream of time as new ripples in the pond of life erase many past mistakes, leaving the ever present uncertainty of what will come to be faced with better odds...
1. My Sacrifice

_**A/N:**_ I should start with a welcoming note, I suppose. So I will bid you all a warm greeting and hope that you all enjoy this piece of fan fiction. Before we start, however, I will issue a few notices about this particular story:

-+-

**(1)** It is an _Alternate Universe_, or AU, in the way that it will not follow the same progression as cannon, and as such, a great many differences will be readily apparent. I say this from the get go in an attempt to avoid most of the reprimands I would have received because of the plot changes that the Naruto-verse will suffer at my hands.

**(2)** This is a _Time Travel_ story set almost six years before the start of the Naruto series; changes will happen and characters _will_ change, meaning that some of their personalities will be modified as a result.

**(3)** The first of a three part series, _Divergence_ is placed within the _General_ category because it will not lean toward any of the others in any prominent way. Of course, there will be _Action_, _Humor_, _Drama_ and such, but none of them will take enough precedence at any one time. What I can guarantee is that _Angst_ will be in very short supply, since I don't have much talent for it.

-+-

Apart from that, I don't presume to know the Japanese language so I will try to avoid most of the expressions that I don't deem necessary to the overall development or flow of the story. This is, after all, being written in English, so I will only employ the most common of phrases and use the translated versions of the rest; like techniques and what not.

But that's neither here nor there, so I won't hold you any longer. _Go_, read, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter One  
**My Sacrifice**

* * *

Looking down from his perch atop the Hokage mountain monument, he could not help but marvel at the beautiful picture that the Hidden Leaf Village made as the sun started to set and the last rays of daylight shined across the evergreen treetops and leaves of Konoha. It was truly a sight that moved his heart and touched his soul, letting him know that he had made the right decision; that his sacrifice was worth it, just to see this village once more in this peaceful state; thriving and serene. 

At that moment he promised himself that he would do anything he could to ensure that it continued that way.

It was true that he had seen it a few times in the last couple of months, but it was still an amazing sight to behold. After all, everything he did and all of his actions and sacrifices had bared fruit by giving him this second opportunity; by allowing him to ensure that this village prospered.

Still, he watched, unseen, from the very top of the mountains as the shops closed and the vendors packed their stands for the day. He observed, undetected, as the ninjas went about their tasks; patrolling, protecting, training, or simply preparing for one mission or another. It did his heart good to see such semblance of normality and it brought joy to his recently somber face to know that disaster could be prevented and war kept at bay.

A specific figure drew his gaze as a blond haired boy climbed down from the highest tree of one of the small, numerous, out of the way parks that were scattered across the village. He saw the boy shuffle in the direction of his apartment, alone on his way home and ignored by many of the remaining people that were milling about still. He studied the bowed blond head as the Container of the Nine-Tails placed his hands deeply into his pockets and, for all intents and purposes, seemed not to notice the sidelong glances he received or the general disregard that the villagers had for him.

He knew that the boy had started to question the meaning of those glances and would soon find a way to react to them. Still, it was strange to watch this from afar and even stranger to witness the reactions of the villagers once the boy's back was turned to them.

They acted as if the boy didn't exist, as if they had never seen him.

However, the small blond was soon out of sight and the time he was waiting for drew nearer. He would do everything that he could to help that boy and pledged to himself to do anything in his power to achieve that goal; for he could clearly see himself in the child's position and knew that this time around the kid would be prepared for what was to come.

He would be prepared for what he might face in the unforgiving world. This, he would see to.

With a soul rending sigh, he shook himself from his thoughts and once again focused on his task. Taking hold of the handle of the small black bag that lay at his side, he prepared to move once more, knowing that this meeting needed to take place but still slightly apprehensive of the possible outcomes that his presence would get.

When he sensed that the one he was looking for was finally alone, he prepared himself for the worst, yet still wished for the best. If there was ever a time where he would need luck, he was sure that this would be it, so he braced himself for whatever outcome he might face; finally, after so much planning and guessing as to how this would play out, it was time for the next step in their plan to be executed, to take the first step into a new, hopefully better direction.

The next moment, only the swirl of shadowed leaves could have told of his presence, and even then, there was no trace that he was there a mere second later.

-  
- o -  
-

The smell of smoke was one of the first things that hit him, and not for the first time did he question if it was because of this old man that Asuma picked up the habit. He dearly hoped that Konohamaru wouldn't follow suit this time around, but then, seeing that both his uncle and grandfather smoked like chimneys, it was perhaps too much to ask. A sense of nostalgia made itself known in the next moment and he watched avidly while the old man went about his office; storing some scrolls and books, shuffling the papers on his desk this way and that and pausing beside a cabinet every so often; relighting his pipe once more before resuming with the task of getting everything in order.

Minutes passed in silence as this old man, who was seen in many ways as a grandfather by the villagers, a respected leader and protector, peered out from the vast window of his private office and toward his sleeping home, unaware of the eyes that observed him intently.

This old man had seen the birth of Konoha with young eyes and now looked at it with almost unrivaled wisdom, for he had seen how Konoha had grown and blossomed; he was there as it grew strong and was still here while it weakened. He had been there when the seeds of the tree of Konoha were planted and was still standing while it withered.

But that wouldn't happen if he had anything say about it.

He wouldn't allow it.

Still, if it were as simple as that, his presence might not be necessary and the risks he was taking might not be needed.

Letting out a silent sigh, something that he was doing far too often, he watched for a bit longer before deciding that it was time to reveal his presence. This, above all else, was the most delicate part. After all, one false step and half of the elite ninjas of the Village Hidden in the Leaves would be there without hesitation. It would only take a twitch from their aging leader to bring them all in waves. He needed to try and avoid that, or any kind of confrontation, at any cost, not for his sake, but for theirs and the sake of the village.

He knew that most shinobi were somewhat trigger happy, after all. They would not think twice in releasing a dangerous amount of destruction to capture him, if it were to come to that.

Still, this needed to be done, for he couldn't bear the weight of responsibility alone; a good leader knows when to ask for help and who to ask it from. The question in this case had never been about who to ask for help, however, but _when_ to ask for it. He knew that this was his chance, so without moving from the hiding place from where he was observing the old man and his surroundings with every ounce of his senses, he decided to act.

"Sandaime-sama," he said softly, noting how the Third Hokage slowly turned, hands still clasped behind his back, yet completely on alert even before the first syllable of his name was out of his lips.

A moment passed as he allowed himself to be seen as only a shadow, knowing that Sarutobi had already called for the ANBU guards to be ready to act, yet with orders to hold. The Hokage didn't have any information or hint of his intentions, so he would probably indulge his curiosity before risking any of his shinobi without reason. Or at least, that was what he was counting on, and what all of their plans hinged on. As is, the Hokage simply stared at his shadow, taking the pipe in his hand and blowing out a cloud of smoke.

It was a better reaction than he anticipated, at least.

"Show yourself," the Third demanded, his voice brooking no argument, his posture tensed and ready to react to any perceived threat, or really, anything that simply twitched the wrong way. He had to admit, the old man still had it. It was because of this that he was still Hokage, after all, regardless of his great age.

Unhurriedly, he slid out of the wall opposite to the window and in front of the desk, giving a bow to the Hokage before stepping into the light.

The first thing that Sarutobi noticed was the long dark blond hair, tied back into a ponytail very similar to how the Hyuuga Branch House members preferred it, but not as neat, and the next was the glowing violet colored eyes that stared back at him with elongated pupils.

"Good evening, Hokage-sama," greeted the stranger formally, feeling a bit relived that the room had not been swarmed by guards.

So far so good—

"I would greet you, but I do not know who you are," the Sandaime commented lightly, not letting down his guard and probably trying to figure what purpose and what intentions he might hold toward him and his village.

Tilting his head, the visitor seemed to ponder something before speaking, "That question has many answers and most of them are quite confusing. Do you have the time to hear my explanations at the moment, Hokage-sama?"

The Third just stayed silent for an instant, taking in the stranger's appearance. He noticed that he was undoubtedly young, twenty years old at the least, and yet, he had the ability to remain completely undetected by him. Even now, while the stranger stood before him he could not sense his presence, which was more than slightly disconcerting. He wore a tan shirt with a mask that covered the lower half of his face, a black vest and long, baggy white pants that were wrapped around his lower calves with a series of black leather straps and buckles, and black ninja footwear.

There was no forehead protector in sight, as far as he could tell.

What caught his attention the most, however, were the startling violet colored eyes with the slit like pupils. Never had he seen eyes quite like them, apart from the yellow snake-like version of a former student of his. However, the darkness that his former pupil held in his gaze was not present in this stranger, and unusually, he began to relax in the presence of someone unknown to him and with completely indefinable intentions while nodding thoughtfully to the question that he had been asked.

The young man simply radiated good ninja vibes, for lack of a better expression.

It would bother him some time later just how easily he had lowered his guard, however slightly, even with the sense of familiarity that seemed to surround the intruder; but at the same time he would berate himself for being so distrustful and suspicious; a contradiction, to be sure.

Maybe he was getting to old for this job.

Still, he had more than enough time for this puzzle. Besides, he was sure that if he had answered in the negative, it would be the last that he would see of this intruder; his intentions toward him or Konoha would forever remain unknown, a puzzle that would probably stay unsolved.

His very instincts were telling him to not allow that to happen. And his instincts hardly ever led him astray.

After taking a small puff from his pipe, he gestured toward one of the chairs in front of his desk and followed the flowing movements of the stranger as he sat down, seemingly without a care, even as he placed the small black bag that he carried on the ground at his feet.

There was no sign of a threat, no hostile movement; only a feeling of peace and power that covered this foreigner, not unlike that of a particularly comfortable cloak. If nothing else, it allowed him to push his worries back until a hostile movement was made or a sign of ulterior motives found.

Luckily, he would find neither on this night.

"Thank you, Sandaime-sama," the stranger said as warmth entered his voice, sounding as if he was a long lost child greeting his grandfather, his eyes turning a shade clearer then before, even as he clasped his hands in his lap, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair. For some reason, Sarutobi took off his hat and sent a small chakra pulse telling the ANBU to stand down. Tilting his head again, the stranger's eyes simply became another shade clearer before he bowed his head once more, "your trust is greatly appreciated Hokage-sama."

Surprised that the young ninja in front of him had sensed that and actually understood the message, seeing that only the higher echelons of the Konoha ninja hierarchy knew of that particular code, he just shook his head and nodded once in acknowledgement, placing his hat atop of the desk even if his mind whirred furiously to try and find answers to the hundreds of questions that this stranger raised by his presence alone and a few courteous words.

So while his worries where few, his questions, his suspicions and his reservations never left him.

"I still do not know who you are," he stated clearly, trying to keep his qualms and doubts at bay. For some unexplainable reason, he could feel that his visitor was smiling at him from behind his mask and it helped ease his worries a bit more, but not by much.

"It's a long story, old man Hokage," the stranger said, the cheeky grin noticeable in his tone, even as the familiarity in which he spoke seemed commonplace, "I'll give you the short version first, and answer any questions and give you any proof that you ask for, ojiichan," he answered, and Sarutobi found that he didn't mind the disrespectful terms because of the warmth and familiarity in which they were spoken, even as he began to wonder who exactly would address him in such a way. However, the young man's next words and actions would be the ones that would erase almost all of his reservations and at the same time send his mind into a whirl of speculation, "I am the Sixth Fire Shadow of the Hidden Village of the Leaf or the Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato," his guest stated with absolute certainty.

Faintly, Sarutobi noted that he was now sitting down, even though he didn't remember taking such action.

The abrupt change in tone alone, from lightheaded and cheeky to one of deadly seriousness and complete conviction would have made a lesser man's head spin. But Sarutobi didn't even give it a second thought. What sent him for a loop, however, was the claim to the Hokage title; especially seeing that there was the notable absence of a Fifth Hokage at the moment.

Maybe the memo got lost in the paperwork?

Nevertheless, as he stared intently at the stranger in front of him, the one who alleged to be the Sixth Hokage of his village, he could only gaze at the sparkling violet eyes looking back at him sincerely. Slowly, he stood up once more and began an extremely long series of hand seals, molding a diminutive amount of chakra with each, and locked eyes with the unmoving and patient looking visitor. Finally, after a whole two minutes of silence he finished the last seal, whispering, "_Fire Shadow Identification Technique_." (1)

Immediately after the discharge of chakra that came from using the technique, and the feeling of energy washing over him, atop both the strangers and his right brow appeared two kanji symbols marking the young ninja in front of him as the Sixth Hokage of Konoha, even as he knew that the kanji on his own brow marked him as the Third. Most of his worries and suspicions fled him at that very moment, as if they had been abruptly pulled out of him. Sitting back down carefully, nervously, Sarutobi did the only thing he could think of; he asked a question, "How?"

Smiling lightly, the now confirmed Rokudaime Hokage simply answered, "That is too complicated an answer without knowing all the facts, old man," he began, shrugging, "you should know that this was the only way I could find in which Konoha could continue a peaceful existence, and that only _I_ can do it at this point in time."

"Could you give me your name before you start explaining, Rokudaime?" Sarutobi asked, getting past the surprise and moving on to academic curiosity, like any good professor might show, and already accepting the presence before him. His remaining suspicions, however, began taking a new road to travel.

After all, a ninja could not remain surprised for long, or trust so easily. It could easily lead to his death otherwise.

Sighing, the Sixth Hokage made himself comfortable, looking perfectly relaxed, "Everything starts and ends with who I am, I guess, but that is part of my luck, I would imagine. Very well. My name, old man Hokage, is Uzumaki Naruto," he stated, rolling off his mask to show what remained of the whisker marks that were and are so predominant in his youth. Now, only six faint, one centimeter long scar-like marks remained on his jaw line, leaving his cheeks unmarred. The next moment, nine long violet colored fox tails with white tips were splayed upon the office floor, swishing this way and that, one or two wrapping themselves protectively around his legs.

To say that Sarutobi was stunned would be an understatement, but soon knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the young man in front of him was, indeed, Naruto. Even if diluted, the feel of the Kyuubi's chakra was unmistakable. An older and wiser one as well, if he judged by looks alone. But if it was true, then that would mean that the person standing in front of him was not from this _time_, and he had to ask himself, was that even possible?

Glancing back at the Rokudaime, he knew that there were precious other possibilities.

Once he realized this, and noticed the resemblance, he released a soft, heartfelt chuckle, "So you became Hokage then? Outstanding," he exclaimed softly, his mind still trying to piece everything together, even as contradictions formed within his thoughts. However, a thought struck him that took the wind out of his sails, a thought that he voiced immediately, "But you don't look to be any older then twenty years of age, and yet you are almost six years old at this time. Does this mean that Konoha will fall in the next fifteen years?"

Violet eyes darkened significantly at this statement, "That's what I'm here to prevent, old man, that's what I'm here to prevent," he said as he stood up and started to pace, his nine tails flowing gracefully behind him.

"What happened?" the Sandaime asked, looking worried.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto calmed himself as he still paced in front of the desk, looking for the words to explain, relieved that the old man believed him, "I guess that the beginning is as good a place as any to start," he stated, more to himself then to Sarutobi, even if his gaze flickered toward the old shinobi every once in a while; three of his tails elongated and gently moved around the two chairs that stood directly in front of the Hokage's desk, along with the small black bag; which was placed atop one of the chairs by the tail holding it. It was amusing to see as the tails seemed to unconsciously clear the way for their owner to pace freely, and the Third was astonished by this display of unconscious control. He drew hope from the fact that the powers of the Kyuubi could be placed under such command and used for the protection of the village. He, however, was drawn from his thoughts as the young man began to speak.

Naruto told of his life since his birth in a way that he had been unable to do until then, telling of how he grew and came to be as he was now. He spoke of his lonely childhood, his broken spirit and his ever growing determination to prove himself. He spoke of how his search for any sort of acknowledgement had clouded his vision and delayed his development as a ninja; so starved for attention he was that he even searched for acknowledgement from his enemies. He knew that he needed to make the old man understand all of this, since he would require his help to put most of his plans into motion.

Anything else but full disclosure at this time could come back to bite him in the tails later on, even if this was a pretty big gamble. But then, Tsunade had been certain that coming to the Sandaime would be worth the risk, and he was glad that her luck, applied through him, had held out so far.

Still, he continued, answering one minor question here and there as he wove the tale of his life; of his failure in the academy and how he coped with it; protecting himself with humor and cheerfulness in a way. After all, it was the only way he could get any attention, even if it was slightly negative. He knew, in spite of everything, that with the way the villagers ignored him, he would have been forgotten and grown bitter or enraged if he hadn't called out for that attention. He explained how it was because of Umino Iruka, his sensei at the academy, that he didn't give up and avoided a terrible fate. Inwardly he wondered if he would have started killing like Gaara if not for the kindhearted Chuunin-instructor and the slight acknowledgement he gave him in his childhood.

Umino Iruka along with the ever present shadow of the Sandaime Hokage had loomed behind him since he had memory; comforting him, watching over him and protecting him; they were his guiding light in a life full of darkness. They were the first to truly acknowledge his existence.

Still, he continued his tale, highlighting some things, but basically just giving the general gist of it. He noted his many failures in the academy and how he finally graduated and placed in a team, not exactly saying who his teammates were or who their Jonin instructor had been. However, he did speak of his visit to Wave Country and the first instance were the seal that kept the Kyuubi imprisoned cracked slightly, allowing for the demon to push his chakra toward him.

"That was the first, but certainly not the last time where the Nine-tail's chakra was released. Nevertheless, each time it took a bigger toll on my body, to the point where, during one encounter, I used the first tail; the amount of chakra slowly consumed me, even as it healed me immediately after that," he explained, his tails swishing and curling this way and that in a clear show of agitation. Sarutobi wondered on the sheer amount of will it would have taken to completely subdue the Kyuubi and the extreme burden of what the young man in front of him had had to face to do so.

His thoughts quickly made their way to the young, present version of the Demon Carrier, who was probably now asleep in his small apartment, and he worried about what the future might hold for that child.

Seeming to sense his thoughts, however, the Sixth continued speaking, "In a way that is why I am here, Sandaime-sama. I used every once of my power and what remained of my life to come back here for a short period and try to prevent the worst from happening, along with helping you prepare for what even I was not prepared to face."

At those words, Sarutobi grasped hold of one of the statements, "what remained of your life?" he asked with a small amount of anxiety, somehow knowing what he meant, but still wanting to confirm it.

Sighing slightly, Naruto stopped in front of the window, four of his tails wrapping around his legs as he gazed toward the night sky of Konoha. Without turning, he started speaking, "The demon awoke during that event in Wave Country. It awoke from the slumber induced by the seal, and even if no one noticed it, every time I used his chakra in excess, his instincts would often cloud my own. It was not until I reached a three-tailed transformation that we noticed how my mind would be slowly overwhelmed by the demon and his instincts, and how my body was suffering from the strain.

"Slowly I was becoming more fox than human.

"Each time that massive amount of uncontrollable, unbridled chakra broke free, I lost a few years of my life. Even after many battles of both body and mind, by the time I had tamed the demon and completely overcame his mind, gaining control of the fox's instincts, most of my life had been wilted away. Before I came to the past I had only twenty or so years left to live," he finished, his voice soft. Slowly, he turned around, looking at the saddened face of the Sandaime with darkened violet eyes, "However, after I gained control of the demon I learned how to protect my body with chakra, how to regenerate and heal without expending my life and how to even renew most of the cells that by being consumed had shortened my life expectancy." (2)

Here, he paused before continuing, turning once again toward the window, "But I had no time left and the process to regenerate my damaged body would have left me severely weakened and left open for attack from my enemies." As his tails unwrapped from his legs and remained unmoving at his feet, the Sandaime looked toward the sight of the Hidden Leaf Village, remaining silent and allowing the young Hokage to gather his thoughts once again.

Naruto simply continued to speak, his voice soft, "At that point, I was the only one left that could hold Akatsuki off, or even delay them. Thus they made me the Hokage; I was the only one who could stand in their way and protect the village, the only one who could lead our forces. Nonetheless, it was all futile; they had already taken control of six of the Bijuu, the tailed demons, and even though they could not get the most powerful, the Kyuubi, because I had already absorbed all of its power, they could still defeat me if they used the other demons against me. My life was dwindling as they kept growing in power, time became short and fate almost inevitable," he finished, still speaking softly, even as a small smile tugged at his lips.

Chuckling slightly, the Sandaime could not help but point something else, "almost inevitable?" he asked, taking a puff from his pipe.

"Hai," Naruto said, as a grin soon bloomed in his, until now, somber face, "I had to sacrifice one year of my life and some of my power to the Time God for every year that I traveled into the past," he explained as his eyes seemed to become slightly clearer once more. "It was the last chance, the last desperate hope, and it worked," he said, his grin widening significantly as his tails became animated once more. Turning around, Sarutobi noticed that the chairs were once again in front of the desk as Naruto flopped into one of them, probably placed there by his ever moving tails.

Shaking his head, the old Hokage sat down as well, marveling on the life of the young man before him, the things he had done to protect the very village that hated him; the lengths he had reached to avoid its destruction and the determination he showed throughout his life as he gained the acknowledgement that he so desired, one person at a time.

It was a sad, yet inspirational life all the same.

"I now have a bit more than five years left, but that is enough time to make a better future," Naruto's soft voice filled the office, his eyes closed.

Taken aback by this statement, but remembering what the young Rokudaime had said, he couldn't help but ask, "but didn't you mention being able to renew and heal yourself?"

Naruto simply answered, his eyes still closed, "to summon the Time God one needs a certain amount of power, power that can only be used for this purpose if one were the vessel of certain particular demons, for demons themselves do not meddle with gods, yet still have the type of chakra necessary to summon them. Only those few that have the density and type of chakra needed to perform the task can do it; a Jinchuuriki in this case, and then, they need to be able to use the full power of the Bijuu sealed within themselves. If one were unable to amass and use enough of this chakra, one would die in the process of summoning it.

"At the moment, this means that only I could ever summon him, since the Hachibi, the Eight-tailed demon just falls short of the amount of chakra required along with the type of chakra needed, and even then, I'm the only one who has been able to completely tame the beast that was sealed within me and develop the technique. However, I needed to forfeit not only fifteen years of my life, but offer a bit of my power, permanently, for the summoning; just enough that I couldn't summon him again without loosing my life. I can't renew the cells that I have lost seeing as I would need my full potential to even attempt the regeneration, and even if I tried, it would take too much time with my current chakra levels," he paused and opened his eyes to stare at Sarutobi unwaveringly, "and time is not something we have at the moment.

"This is my sacrifice, Old Man, one that I willingly made knowing the consequences."

After that last statement, silence engulfed the office and the Sandaime turned his thoughts inward. After all, the person who developed the technique that mostly resembled what the young Hokage spoke of was the Yondaime himself, his successor, who made the sacrifice of his soul to summon the Death God to seal away the most powerful demon on the face of the planet. Still, to summon something a sacrifice was always needed, be it a drop of your blood, chakra or your own soul, as was the case with the _Dead Demon Seal_ that the Fourth used. Taking note of the almost immeasurable amount of chakra that the Kyuubi possessed, and understanding this fact, along with the power that the Eight-tails might have, it probably meant that almost all of the Nine-tails chakra had to be used to summon the Time God. If his thoughts were correct, then the young ninja in front of him would have probably suffered from chakra depletion when he arrived at this time.

In front of him, the Sixth Hokage smiled, "I got here five months ago, and my chakra is still not completely replenished," he stated, as if he were able to sense the old man's thoughts.

That statement alone would keep Sarutobi's mind occupied for weeks to come, but he swiftly pushed that thought away. Now that he somewhat understood the situation, he needed to know the young Hokage's real purpose to come and search for him. "I understand," he said, inhaling from his pipe to help him calm his thoughts, "what I need to know now is what help I may be able to provide to assist you in your quest to derail this unfortunate future. After all, you wouldn't have risked coming to me if you didn't have need of my assistance."

A broad smile spread across the young Hokage's face as he stood up once more before putting his mask back on. "Good," he said, satisfaction on his tone, as he walked over to where he left the black piece of luggage, "I thought that this would have been a whole lot more difficult. For some reason I thought I would have had to knock out every ninja in this village and take some drastic measures to convince you, ojiichan," he finished with a sheepish smile that Sandaime could pick up from the tone of voice.

Rummaging in the bag, the future Sixth Hokage gave a soft but triumphant cry, holding a scroll in his hand before taking out a wrapped bundle and a middle size wooden box which Sarutobi noticed had some seals placed on it.

"This," Naruto said, handing the scroll to Sarutobi, "is the most relevant information that I've gathered and written from my memories in the last five months, along with some suggestions of things you should look into so that certain situations can be avoided. I hope you act as swiftly as possible, Konoha can't afford to be weakened now," he paused and placed the sealed box and the long wrapped object on top of the desk, his voice turning serious, "the names on the first section of the scroll are spies for both Orochimaru and Akatsuki. I suggest that you dispose of them as soon as possible and begin to strengthen the village while doing so, since they could just place new spies if things remain as they are."

Opening the scroll, Sandaime read gravely through the list of names, "Mizuki?" he pointed out, a little doubtful of the young Chuunin.

Without preamble the young Hokage just answered, "He killed a lightly wounded teammate during a mission to retrieve some scroll or another and was brought in contact with Orochimaru after that," he said, bluntly, "His personal ambitions are a threat to Konoha."

"Very well," Sarutobi sighed regretfully.

Closing his eyes at the defeated look on the old mans face; Naruto explained quietly, "It was because of Konoha's lowered guard during these years of peace that the opportunity arose for it to be attacked. Even though Orochimaru has been dealt with, he is a simple distraction that Akatsuki allowed to exist so that Konoha could be weakened, making me more accessible to them. At the present time he was still a member of Akatsuki, but he was already showing signs of dissent, so he won't be missed."

Slightly startled, Sarutobi raised his head from the information he was reading in the scroll, "dealt with?"

"Yes," the Rokudaime answered him, gesturing toward the sealed box, his tails swishing in delight as he started unwrapping the bundle in front of the old man, revealing the _Kusanagi_, Orochimaru's sword, "At this time he hadn't changed from his original body and had not been able to gain most of the power that made him so difficult to kill the last time I fought with him, which made him ripe for the picking." Tapping the sealed wooden box, drawing Sandaime's dazed expression to take note of the item, Naruto continued, "I disposed of his body and here lies his head," he simply said as he withdrew a small scroll from some unseen pocket and handing it to the old man, "he had already started forming the Hidden Village of the Sound, along with planning on how to attack Konoha and abandoning Akatsuki, but that is a problem that won't plague us this time around," he finished and turned around, his tails disappearing from sight as he picked up the black bag once again, "for one, at this moment the Akatsuki won't think anything of his death, especially since I left proof of his plan to abandon the organization, and second, since he is gone, Konoha won't suffer as it did in my time, and the real battles can take place away from here if we are lucky."

Shocked to the core, Sandaime let his pipe fall as he shakily called the young man to stop, "What is in this scroll and where are you headed?"

Turning his head so that he could look at Sandaime from the corner of his eye, he answered simply, "That scroll holds information on the locations that Orochimaru used to do his experiments in so that they could be investigated and his entire operation shut down; you have a month before Orochimaru is missed," he paused and turned his head slowly, "as for where I'm going, I'm going to search for the Godaime."

"The fifth?" Sarutobi asked faintly, "I haven't even selected one yet . . ."

Turning around he met the clear violet colored eyes of the young ninja, "and you took too long to do it, dying at the hands of Orochimaru and leaving your village without a leader. That is not a mistake that should be done twice," he said, not taking his eyes from the old man, trying to make him understand, even if his voice was soft, "there is a lot I need to do, and it is your job to see that this village is strong enough to endure what is to come, old man. Here I am not the Sixth and it is not my sole duty to take care of Konoha, even if I am working to ensure its future. You still need some help, the help of a strong leader, while I use the time that I have left training the young Naruto to do what _I_ was and will be unable to accomplish."

"Very well," Sarutobi said, finally understanding the situation, "how long will it take and who will take the place as the Godaime?"

Naruto just turned around and started to walk out, "I will be back in no more then two weeks, I don't have any more time than that at the moment," he answered as he melded into the walls, "and the Godaime will be old lady Tsunade," he said with a smirk very evident in his tone of voice, even as his shadow disappeared from the room, leaving no trace that he was ever there. "Even if I have to drag her drunken carcass all the way from whatever casino she is at, to the very gates of the Hidden Leaf," came his voice from everywhere in the office.

The Sandaime's surprised laugh and hackling, choking cough echoed across the Administrative Tower for well over fifteen minutes. Still, within his mind, his thoughts were not so jovial even as he stared at the scroll that the Rokudaime had left. _Can I trust him? Can I afford not to? Will he truly be able to bring Tsunade back?_

Question after question invaded his mind all at once, and while his suspicions of ill intent had been assuaged; his worry for Konoha came roaring back to the forefront of his mind. He needed to think everything over and make a decision soon.

Several decisions, in fact.

Time was not a luxury he had at the just then, even with such timely warning.

It should not be wasted. And as he looked toward the sealed box resting innocently atop his desk, he couldn't help but think that maybe his own time was coming to an end as well. Maybe he had waited too long to appoint a new successor.

Looking out through his window one more, he dearly hoped that the Sixth would be able to bring Tsunade back.

-  
- o -  
-

It took him three days to track down the gambling Sannin, and even then he had to wait for two more days as he watched her and tried to find the correct moment to approach her. After all, it's never good to catch her in a bad mood, especially when that bad temper was unleashed by some poor sod that wanted her to pay some of her debts. Needless to say, _that_ idiot will probably spend a week in the hospital for getting in her way.

After waiting for her to cool down and get good and drunk, he thought it would be a good time to talk to her, but then she started winning some money while gambling and that put her on edge, which meant that he now had to tread extra carefully. Shaking his head as he pondered these thoughts, he remembered how the Slug Sannin used her luck as some kind of sixth sense. After all, she was always unlucky while gambling unless something bad was coming her way, and as things stood at the moment, being made the Hokage of the Village she was running away from definitely counted as a bad omen. So he kept watching from afar, letting her nerves get frayed as she tried to figure out what was going to happen.

He took notice that Shizune looked younger then he remembered, but that was the case with almost everyone but Old Lady Tsunade, who looked the same as always due to the permanent _Henge_ or _Transformation Technique_ or whatever it was that she used to conceal her true appearances. If his calculations were correct, the attendant was about twenty-one years old at the moment, and quite an accomplished medic-nin, if he remembered the tales of her training under the gambling addict.

He idly wondered if the title of Legendary Sucker had been attached to the medic just yet.

Still, his time was running low, and he knew that he would have to resort to some very heavy artillery to convince the Slug Tamer to take the job. He just hoped that he could pull it off.

The sun was starting its descent, marking the start of the afternoon. The city was teaming with activity, filled with people looking for entertainment; be it in fairs, restaurants, bars, casinos or what the perverted hermit and his old sensei referred to as 'information central.' Still, he was glad that most of this outpost was dedicated to more wholesome activities or he would be afraid of encountering the Perverted Sennin as well. _That_ would be a disaster in and of itself. After all, he didn't want Tsunade to get angry again so soon. It would just make everything too difficult and he would have to do as he told Sandaime and knock them down and drag them to Konoha.

However, that was his last resort and final plan. Something to do if all else failed. Reasoning would be first, and if that didn't work, emotional manipulation and blackmail would then be used, a bet would probably be the next most logical approach, and if all else failed, then the knocking her unconscious and dragging her to the Hidden Leaf would be done.

Tired of waiting, he twisted his neck slowly and rotated his shoulders in preparation; he relaxed as the satisfying feeling of his bones snapping into place spread across his body. He set his eyes on the target once more and disappeared without a trace or a sound. The rooftop that had harbored him while he watched the Sannin's every move showed no sign that someone had spent the last few hours there.

-  
- o -  
-

"Good afternoon, Tsunade-sama," a soft voice said from behind her as a small breeze ruffled her hair. Turning around she found herself looking into the most peculiar eyes she had ever seen, not because of their shape, but because of their color; a vibrant violet that was even more surprising than the elongated pupils.

However, she turned immediately suspicious of this stranger, both because of her sudden winning streak in the casinos and the fact that he already knew her name, which made her even more cautious. The fact that half of his face was covered by a mask only added to the difficulty of identifying him. Not that it mattered much, since she already knew that she didn't know him. Resigning herself to her fate, for now, she made her annoyance clear in her voice and answered, "Yes?"

For some reason, though, she thought that the stranger was smiling at her, especially since his eyes seemed to lighten somewhat. "Could I have a word with you, Tsunade-sama?" he asked politely.

Thinking on it slightly while looking him over she immediately knew that he was a ninja, but couldn't find any sign of a hitai-ate or forehead protector to denote what village he was affiliated with. The closed black vest that he wore was not that of a Chuunin or Jonin even if it was similar, and he didn't have any other distinctions of rank. This added to the fact that she couldn't remember seeing him in the Bingo Book and she rightly deduced that he was not a missing-nin either. Even as they stared at each other she thought everything through; he did not show any kind of ill will towards her, and she was almost certain that he was smiling behind his mask. All these things pointed to only one thing in her mind, and if she was wrong, well, she wasn't one of the Legendary Sannin for nothing, if worse came to worse, she could always kick his ass.

However, she was annoyed at being interrupted at this time, seeing that she was headed toward the bar and a good bottle of Sake. Everyone knows not to interrupt her drinking, even if it hadn't started yet. If this idiot wanted something he'd have to work for it. "You already had a word," she finally said and turned around toward the bar, the entire exchange only taking a mere moment.

She noted with some satisfaction that his rather weak presence had disappeared. He was probably cannon-fodder seeing as he had so little chakra, or a pathetic ninja if he couldn't mask himself well enough. Even after all these years it seemed that no one had learned to send better shinobi after her.

She was startled out of her thoughts, however, when she entered the bar and found a pair of glowing violet eyes staring intently at her from a booth at the back of the establishment, sipping on some kind of beverage. Silently, he gestured to the seat opposite his and signaled the bartender to serve her a drink. The calm, placid look in his eyes told her that it was in here best interest to do so, and for some reason, she took notice. Well, maybe they _were_ sending better shinobi. Still, when she sat down he only stared at her, not speaking or doing anything but taking a small sip from his drink from time to time.

How he did it without taking off his mask, she didn't know, but it was a strange thing to notice in such a situation, she was sure.

Nothing was said for a good half hour, and Tsunade was already feeling a bit warm from drinking, even if she didn't overdo it, just in case the stranger decided to do something. When Shizune sat down beside her, she looked at the stranger for a bit before giving her a look that clearly said, _'who the hell is this?'_

"Good afternoon, Shizune-san," the gentle voice of the violet-eyed shinobi startled them out of their staring contest, or womanly communication, as the case might be; It was all a matter of perception after all. He just inclined his head in greeting and kept sipping at his drink, as if waiting for something.

Nothing more was said, and Shizune was silenced with a look from the Slug Sannin when the young attendant was about to say a greeting back. The message in that look was simple: _'Let me handle this'_. However, after another half an hour of silence and staring, which Tsunade would never admit had started to creep her out, she finally broke, "What do you want?"

Even for a ninja, she wasn't very patient, and she knew by now that he was waiting for her to crack. Well, sometimes you had to pick and choose your fights, and for some unknown reason she was somehow certain that she wouldn't be able to shake the particular ninja off.

Call it a woman's intuition.

Of course, there was the fact that she had been running away, from what, she had already forgotten, and knew when it was best to simply make a stand.

It had been years since that had happened, though, she suddenly remembered.

The lightening of those violet eyes was the only thing that alerted her to his change of mood, even if that strange sensation that made her think that he was smiling came back tenfold. Creepy. It was as if he knew what she was thinking as well. "I have urgent business that I need to discuss with you, Tsunade-sama," he finally said, his voice low and calm as he said this.

For some reason, this aggravated the legendary medic-nin to no end. A vein throbbed in her temple and she couldn't help but narrow her honey-colored eyes as a full hour of restrained irritation finally come apart suddenly, "I don't have any money to pay whatever debt you're here to collect for," she said, slamming her palm on the table and half standing up, pissed.

After all, why else would someone come after her?

A low, smooth chuckle from the stranger stopped her rant before it started as he stayed impassive even under the assault of her mid-level glare. Grown and experienced ninja would have been quaking in fear and scared stiff with the expression she wore at the moment, and yet this stranger did nothing more then laugh lightly, even as the table still trembled under her slight assault, a mere love tap to be sure.

When her gaze turned incredulous, he looked up at her and spoke, "Tsunade-sama, I'm not here because of any debt that you may or may not have incurred, but to speak with you about something that is in your best interests to hear. I will be waiting for you a mile away from the East entrance of this outpost, close to the base of the mountains," he paused and half stood so that they were staring each other in the eye before continuing with his gentle tone of voice, "If you are not there by mid-afternoon tomorrow, I _will_ come and make you listen."

It was a promise, not a bluff. That much she was certain about.

Then, before she had a chance to blink or say another word, he was gone, not leaving even the smallest of traces, or even making the faintest of sounds. No smoke or flickering, nor even a gust of air that showed that he left. Sitting down rather roughly, she bleakly noticed that the small amount of chakra that she sensed from him was because that was what he wanted her to sense.

For that split second after he had finished, she simply knew that it was a promise that he would be able to carry out, that he _would_ make her listen, and that humbled her in a way that she hadn't felt for years. It reminded her that she wasn't as strong or, dare she say it, as young, as she once was.

_So much for seeing underneath the underneath_, she thought ruefully while finishing off her drink.

She was getting complacent.

However, her curiosity was stirred, so she just stood up and started to leave, "Let's go Shizune," she yelled at her apprentice, even as the twenty year old paid the bartender before scrambling after her while asking question after question about the stranger. Waving a hand at the attendant to get her attention and her silence, Tsunade just gave her a determined look, "I know exactly the same thing that you do, Shizune, and if you want to find out anything more, then stop talking and start running," and with that both medic-nins took off in the direction of the East entrance.

When they were close to a mile away from the town, they spotted the stranger seated cross-legged in a picnic blanket, his eyes closed and drinking tea. This time however, he had his vest opened and as soon as they were closed enough, he gestured for them to sit down; something which Shizune did immediately only to notice that Tsunade's' eyes were locked into something that hung from the strangers' neck. The young attendant just gasped as she looked at the emerald colored amulet that belonged to Tsunade's grandfather, the First Hokage.

After all, he had tried reasoning, so it was high time he turned to emotional manipulation.

Shizune quickly looked back toward the Sannin, only to see her firmly clutching her own amulet. "How?" came the strangled question from the Slug Tamer in a vastly similar way as the Sandaime just a few days ago.

"You gave it to me, Tsunade-obaachan," he answered simply as he opened his eyes, looking directly at the legendary medic-nin. "As to how," he said, taking the amulet in his left hand and tracing it gently with his right index finger, "I am the Rokudaime Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, and the former vessel of the Kyuubi from fifteen years into the future," he stated before raising his eyes and locking them with the startled amber eyes of the medic-nin, "and I am here to look for my predecessor, and the Godaime of Konoha," he continued, his gaze turning back to the amulet, voice softening somewhat.

"You gave this to me when I was thirteen, still a Genin, and Jiraiya took me with him when he was sent searching for you after the Sandaime's death," he paused at their gasps, but continued nonetheless, "we found you and Jiraiya gave you the message that you were selected as the next Hokage by the council, but you refused and said that only fools would want to bear that title," he stopped again and raised his gaze to see that she was staring at him with her other hand placed over her mouth.

It took some time, but he continued with his story, remembering it as if it were yesterday. He told Tsunade of what happened and how she became the Godaime in the future along with the circumstances behind her appointment. He told her about their bet; telling her about mastering the _Rasengan_ in one week for him to win even as he grasped his own amulet tightly while he recounted how he had woken up with it around his neck after she had saved his life. He told of her encounter with Orochimaru and how she overcame her fear of blood.

In short, he told her how she became the Godaime of Konoha and how she took the mantle and title proudly.

He chuckled softly when he was done, letting the amulet fall to his chest as he leaned forward and took the hand that was not around her own amulet in his, "I have only five years left to live, and I need them to train my younger self so that he can fight and face what is to come without all the hindrances and complications that I faced the first time around. For that to happen, Konoha needs a strong leader and a Hokage that they can respect, and that obaachan, is you," he finished softly, still holding her hand.

Silence fell around the clearing they were in as the birds twittered and a gentle breeze blew across it. Giving her hand a squeeze, he gently placed it in her lap, trying not to disturb her thoughts. Leaning back he served two more cups of hot tea and placed them in front of the two medic-nins before drinking his own in silence.

Some ten minutes later, Tsunade seemed to have come back from within her thoughts and took the tea in hand, and after checking with Shizune, took a sip. Nodding in apparent satisfaction, she drew a small envelope and put a bit of a fine white powder into her tea, which Naruto recognized as the one she used to get rid of the effect of alcohol. Not a word was said for some time as she regained her bearings; after all, it's not every day that a complete stranger claims to come from the future and tells you that you are to be the next Hokage of the village you abandoned. What's more, his explanations had enough unknown facts to give credibility to his story.

Looking up from her tea, she found him looking at her, "How do I know that what you are saying is the truth?" she asked.

She needed confirmation.

He tilted his head in thought, before slowly lifting his hand and lowering his mask, and then taking off the amulet. "This is the first time in more then seven years that I've taken it off," he said as he handed her the amulet for her to confirm its authenticity, "When my time reaches its end, my chakra will burn my body and that amulet along with it. It is a representation of my dreams and the confidence you placed on me all those years ago that that dream could be made a reality," he explained at her curious look when he handed her the green gem.

Taking a deep breath, he went on, "the proof that I am the Rokudaime can be given to you by the old man Hokage. I have no doubt that he will give it," he said and she nodded, "I said that I _was_ the container of the Kyuubi, because I have already absorbed all of its chakra," and as he said this nine violet colored fox tails with white tips appeared, splayed around and behind him, curling in his lap, swishing in their place, yet not even disturbing the three cups of tea that were placed close to him.

They literally radiated chakra, for they were embodiments of energy, and it was both heavy and thick, as if normal chakra were only a pale comparison. Then again, he wasn't even suppressing them this time; it would be obvious that the chakra in his tails was not normal.

At this, Shizune stumbled back while Tsunade just looked at the tails and him in amazement, "for me to tame and subdue the fox, much like your _Regeneration Technique_," he explained to Tsunade, seeing that she understood by the widening of her eyes, "my body lost most of its years, such was the amount of chakra the Nine-tails possessed. And even then, to gain control and mastery of the last four of its tails and the rest of his power I needed to use a method that I developed. To travel this far back, to when I could make a difference, I had to give fifteen of my twenty remaining years of life to the Time God, and now I only have a bit more than five years left," he finished, raising a hand and caressing what was left of the whisker marks in his jaw, remembering that particular struggle.

Before she could ask any questions, he continued, still caressing the faint marks, which only drew attention to them, "If you have any more questions about that particular part, the Sandaime can fill in the rest of the gaps. I would prefer it if my purpose, my identity and what I have done to remain a secret, even after this body finds its end," he stated, looking at them intently until they nodded. As for the last bit of proof about his story, he just raised his right hand and in the next moment a swirling purple orb of chakra stood in his palm. It was one of the techniques that made the Yondaime famous and only two people could currently do it at this level.

Tsunade could only look at it, "the _Rasengan_," she whispered, "_his_ technique." And that was the last thing that convinced her. She nodded at him and the orb was immediately dispelled. Looking at his tails, she realized something, "you could kill me if you wanted to," she voiced bluntly.

Naruto just blinked and laughed, a wide smile crossing his face, immediately reminding her of her little brother. "I could," he said after his laughter died, leaving his wide smile in place, slowly he leaned in, as if to tell a huge secret, "but I need you alive, Obaachan," he winked, "besides, I like you too much to do that. I would, however, knock you down and drag you back to Konoha if you started getting stubborn."

With the mood considerably lightened, Tsunade handed him his amulet again, almost reverently, knowing that it was real and how much it meant to him. And to think that someone broke the supposed curse of that necklace, "so you are really here to offer me the position of Godaime?" she asked, her voice somewhat resigned.

His smile just widened a bit more, and he placed a hand behind his neck, looking sheepish, "Well, yeah. But think of it this way, this time you'll have old man Hokage to help you with the paperwork. Last time you had to do it all by yourself," he finished, giving a squinted-eyed chuckle.

It was at that moment that the fact that he was really from the future struck her as if Gamabunta himself had suddenly fallen upon her. And she realized that she didn't even know who he was. Looking at Shizune, she noticed that her apprentice was probably suffering from a brain overload and her eyes were slightly glazed, "I'm sorry, but I never asked your name, even if you seem to know us so well."

At this statement, his eyes darkened just a bit before returning to their light coloring and started twinkling. Pointing at himself with the thumb of his free hand, he exclaimed proudly, but not in a loud tone of voice, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

Hearing this she just smiled slightly, thinking of how young he was, already carrying the title of Hokage. She wondered what could have happened that required him to take such extreme measures, but seeing his smile, she decided to ask another time. Then she thought of what she lost, and what going back to Konoha might bring. Should she take the job? Was she ready to sacrifice her life for a village that she was running away from?

Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by Naruto when he called for her. Blinking, she asked him to repeat what he was saying. The young man just smiled slightly at her, before pointing out that it was getting dark, "like I said, I will give you until tomorrow afternoon to think about it, but there is one thing that you should see before you make your decision."

Curious, she asked, "What is that?"

"Well, you should get back to your rooms for this. Should I take you there?" he asked, standing up in a fluid movement before extending his hand to help her up, leaving his things behind. Once she was on her feet, she noticed that Shizune was dazed, and would probably take a few moments before becoming focused again. Noticing this, she just nodded at his offer and he walked over to them and placed one hand in each of their shoulders.

One moment they were in the clearing, the next a series of shadows started to move, resembling the shadows made by falling leaves and their swaying branches, and the next, they were in their room. If she were naïve enough to consider it, she might have thought that they just moved instantaneously. Turning toward the young Hokage after helping her apprentice into one of the beds giving her a mild sleeping agent for now, she asked, "what is it that I should see?" she asked.

Sighing he just gestured for her to take a seat, "When I decided that coming to the past was the best option available to us, you were still hospitalized from a fight where you had to use your _Genesis Rebirth Technique_ again, something that you had already used once before. It left you quite weak and basically unable to keep your job as Hokage," he started to explain and she nodded, knowing extremely well the side effects of the skill. Clearing his throat, he continued, "I was chosen as your successor because I was the strongest ninja left in the village, and held the title for almost a year before circumstances forced me to do the only thing that I had left. So I sacrificed what remained of my life for the time needed to prepare for the future," he paused and was about to continue, but she interrupted.

"I thought you had already explained most of this..." she trailed off.

Sighing, he sat on the floor and picked one of his tails before starting to stroke it. "Yes, I have, but you _must_ understand. During all those years, I developed many of my own techniques, along with the one that ultimately allowed me to come back in time," he said and looked at her, "one of those techniques was modified by you during your stay in the hospital when you learned about the _Time God Summoning Technique_ that I made and planned to use," he paused, taking a deep breath, "you made a _Memory Sealing Technique_, storing a few memories within me so that I could give them to you once I found you," he laughed nervously, knowing that this was a bit confusing.

However, Tsunade understood the gist of it and was quite intrigued by the idea. "Could you show me some of your memories with this technique?" she asked.

"Well, that's the difficult part, and something we couldn't overcome in the little time we had," he answered, "since everyone has such diverse minds and they process information and thoughts so differently, only the person whom the memories belong to would be able to make any sense of them," he finished with a slight shrug.

"So you haven't seen these memories?" she asked, and when she received a negative response, she thought about it. The allure to learn whatever her future self had deemed for her to see was too great. It really didn't take too much thought, and for whatever reason, she trusted the young man in front of her, so she let him know of her decision.

"Very well then, just lie down, the Old Hag told me that some of these memories would be unpleasant, but that you needed to see them anyways if you were to become Hokage," he explained, and she nodded and lied down, "I will keep watch outside for tonight, but I'll be in the same clearing for the rest of the day, if or when you make a decision, come and find me, okay?"

Tsunade only nodded her assent once again, a bit nervous about the memories. After all, she knew that whatever she deemed unpleasant would be nothing short of terrifying. She lay down and tried to relax, watching as Naruto lifted the left sleeve of his tan shirt, uncovering three seals that vaguely resembled a three element seal. However, these seals held strange characters within the enclosure and she could just make out the symbols for _Memory_ and _Seal_ around those strange patterns. Her observations were interrupted when Naruto asked if she was ready, which she confirmed.

He stood beside her and did a quick succession of hand-seals, his hands a blur of motion that even someone with the _Sharingan_ would be hard-pressed to see. When he finished, he quickly brought his left hand to her forehead and before she sunk within her memories, she noticed the trail of blood that passed along all three seals. She vaguely wondered about what kind of seal this was that needed a blood sacrifice to be released before darkness took her and a tidal wave of memories washed over her mind.

Naruto just stood there for a good ten minutes until the three seals completely disappeared from his forearm. After all, much like the strain that he suffered from training with _Shadow Clones_, Tsunade would be incapacitated by the great influx of information into her brain. Allowing for his tails to withdraw as well, he gently took his hand from Tsunade's forehead, left a small note to Shizune vaguely explaining the situation and left for the roof of the opposite building where he would be able to keep watch.

-  
- o -  
-

Morning passed without event and Naruto spent the better part of it meditating atop a tree branch, hidden from view yet with all of his senses on alert. Much of the time he would think about what memories the old Tsunade might have sent to her younger self, but as much as he pondered on it, he knew that it would be hard to guess, especially with such devious a woman as the Legendary Sannin.

Still, he passed the hours in thought, meditation and even munching on some of the snacks that he brought with him.

However, he also thought about his plans and the best course of action now, knowing full well that his meeting with his younger self was close at hand. There were some things that had to happen before he could take charge of the little boy's training, though, and prepare him for what was to come. He knew that the Kyuubi would be the first obstacle and he was already prepared for that, but not for the first time did he wonder what kind of impact this would have had on him at that age, and he tried to place himself of those small shoes once more.

He knew that all he had craved was for someone to care at that moment, which would later become a prolonged thirst for acknowledgement. So it was not out of the question to wonder how the boy would turn out if he received both care and acknowledgement at such a young age, along with the opportunity to learn and train to fulfill his dream of becoming Hokage.

If he already had that dream, that is.

In the end, if he remembered correctly, it was about at this time that the thought started to make its way into his head, since Sandaime had already told him stories of the great ninjas, and he had already asked the old man about being a ninja himself. The dream of being the best ninja in the village was probably already in his little head, since classes at the Academy started this year for the small Naruto. It would not take a lot for him to link the fact that the best ninja in the village was the Hokage himself and strive for that goal.

Releasing a small breath, he pushed those thoughts aside and disappeared in a swirl of leaves only to reappear in front of Tsunade and Shizune as they came close to his previous position. He looked up at the sun and noticed that it was just after lunch.

Seeing the small smile in the Sannin's face, he couldn't help but ask, "Have you made a decision, Obaachan?"

Tsunade's smile just changed into a smirk as Shizune's widened, "That's Godaime-obaachan to you, brat," she said, stepping closer to him, placing her hands on each side of his face and lowering his head to place a kiss on his forehead, just like she had when he was young. Naruto just stayed still the whole time, but his eyes visibly lightened.

She _remembered_. And that was all that he needed to know.

Both medic-nins got the feeling that he was smiling beneath his mask, and as Naruto started to turn to lead the way back to Konoha without another word said for the time being, a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Turning, he gave a questioning look at the Sannin, too emotional to speak.

"I've been thinking," she said, looking into his lightened eyes, "since you want your identity to remain secret and an Uzumaki Naruto already exists," she paused, taking a small breath, her eyes bright, "would you honor my brother's memory and use his name?" she asked as his head lowered, his hair obscuring his expression, "would you be willing to be referred to as Nawaki for the time that you have left?"

Slowly a tear left the corner of his eye and fell into his mask. He wondered briefly where she had come up with this and was slightly overwhelmed as he tried to respond, knowing the significance of the name, especially for her, and coming short a few times until he succeeded, "The honor would be mine, Tsunade-obaachan," he finally answered, looking into her eyes before she pulled him in for a hug.

At that moment, if only for a brief second, his eyes were a clear, crystalline blue.

* * *

_**To be continued…**_

**

* * *

(1) **_Fire Shadow Identification Technique: _Seeing as 'Ho' stands for fire and 'Kage' stands for shadow, this technique is basically one that only the higher ranked members of the village's ninja know. The kanji that this technique reveals are placed there when the Kage is selected and he or she accepts the position. Needless to say, the method of putting those kanji is secret and divided between seven people, so not just anyone can place them on there or steal it, since it would need the consent of those people to be accomplished, and the kanji are imprinted within the chakra coils of the brain, which is difficult enough as it is. 

**(2)** The basis of this is Tsunade's' own technique to heal herself during battle. She used so much chakra for the purpose of regeneration that the cells in her body divide too quickly, removing several years of her life since there are only a certain amount of these cells in the body, and only a predetermined amount of time that they can be divided, or so I understand. If this assumption is wrong and my use of it unrealistic, just tell me so I can re-arrange it. In Naruto's case, when Kyuubi forces its chakra toward him while he is in danger, much of the same effect happens. The chakra is too much for him to handle, damaging his body and healing him too quickly afterwards, burning up these very important cells. This just strains his body, and basically steals years of his life away; many more than even Tsunade's technique costs.

The fact that he had to go through with this until he gained complete control over the Kyuubi and his nine tails means that if he would have lived about 100 years, it was reduced by 60 or sixty years by the time he was twenty. If you didn't get that, just wait until future chapters where I will go more in depth about the whole process.

* * *

_**Thank you for reading. Cheers!**_


	2. Human Sacrifice

_**A/N:**_ Ohayo! To all of those that reviewed: thank you for taking the time to leave your thoughts behind, I really appreciate them! For those that have some lingering questions about the last chapter, I'll answer the few that I can without spoiling the rest of the story:

-+-

**(1)** The reason that Shizune doesn't speak during Naruto's and Tsunade's interchange is because the Old Hag signaled her not too. Not only that, mainly it's because sometimes I will have to prioritize some characters over others, so even if they are in a group setting, I will highlight some, while others stay in the background. If nothing else, this allows me to concentrate more on the plot, especially during this first story, where I have to allow the main points of the plot to take root in your minds.

**(2)** As for the older version of Naruto, well, he _has_ 15 years of information to impart, and seeing as he was the Hokage for one of those years, it would stand to reason that he would be well informed in many of the things that will happen, which mostly center around him, of course. After all, the first part of this story is based on the actions he takes and the changes he makes with that information.

-+-

In any case, I should also say one more thing; _Beware_, as Naruto will be very powerful in this story. However, it will take him ten years of almost constant, supervised training to achieve this. This means that he will be able to match most Akatsuki members when he turns fifteen, which I don't think that the Naruto in cannon can do without Kyuubi's help.

For now I think that's all, so again, thank you all for reading! Enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

Chapter Two  
**Human Sacrifice**

* * *

Gazing out at the panoramic view of the Hokage monument that her new office afforded her, she couldn't help but feel that a missing piece of her was finally found, such was the importance that a village made in a ninja's character and mind. It was home, and it was always welcoming after whatever struggles you could have encountered. And though only a few knew of her return, the trees that her grandfather placed all around the village when he created it seemed to, nonetheless, give her a warm welcome. 

It took only a few days to reach Konoha after the newly named Nawaki asked her to take the position of Godaime Hokage. It irked her somewhat how easily she caved in his presence, but she understood that he just knew her that well, and knew what to do, and say, to make her accept.

The fact that she now had some memories of when he was twelve, when she had accepted the title during his time and later on in his life seemed to help, and she was certain that she would have declined the position had she not seen them. Those memories showed her and made her remember all that she had tried to repress along with making her realize what her own dream was. A dream that had died with her little brother and Dan, but one that Uzumaki Naruto had rekindled once more, even if it was trough memories that she hadn't truly experienced.

In a certain way, it was cheating that she already had proof that such a dream could become reality, but it also made her strive for it all the more. There was a young Naruto out there, one that needed some of her guidance to achieve his potential all the more quickly. It just made her wonder about the young boy and the difficulties he faced because of the village that he loved.

The Sandaime had filled her in on how harsh the boy's life was and filled the gaps about his future version as well. It was shameful how the village treated him, but she understood that her sensei was already doing everything he could, which was another reason why she decided to return. Memories of the state of affairs in Konoha when her future self had taken the leadership of the village had been swirling in her mind. The village had been a disaster then, and it was weakening now. Sarutobi had been too kind in his position and that caused the village to be unprepared and its inhabitants far too naïve.

It was a problem that she decided to fix and she was just itching to be announced as the Godaime to be able to give a few people a piece of her mind. Not to mention that the Council needed a good reminder of just who the head of the village was by whatever means necessary. Sarutobi-sensei had been pushed around for too long, what with wanting to keep everyone happy. Well, they would be in for quite a surprise, since she was not going to go easy on them. And if they didn't like it, well, they would just have to adapt or leave.

There was no place in Konoha for the weak, be it of mind, body or soul: especially within its leadership.

A knock interrupted her thoughts and she turned to see Shizune entering the office. It was quite spacious, and she had yet to take the time to arrange it to her liking, though she had at least prepared a little nook beside her desk for TonTon. It was also as Nawaki had said; after a few days with her old Sensei and current Hokage and she was almost completely up-to-date with all village affairs. Now she only had to check the records and rosters for the ninjas of each rank and their skills. In a week's time she would be more then ready to take up the post, knowing that her sensei would still be there to lend a hand whenever it was needed.

The old man was one of the greatest minds in the village, after all.

Besides, with a previous Hokage acting as an advisor, the two of them together held more power than the Council. That is, as long as both of them agreed, and Nawaki had seen that they would. Not for the first time in the history of the village would there be three Kages working together; past, present and future.

Just like when the village was first established.

Sighing, she just turned from the view to see that her attendant had the rosters for all the shinobi's of Konoha. Giving another mournful sigh, she resigned herself to her fate and just sat down with her apprentice and started to go over them. Taking notes on the Genin's and their teams along with the Chuunin's and Jonin's and what they specialized in. However, a part of her mind was still in the young man she just met a few days past.

Even if she didn't know any of his abilities, the fact that he had tamed such a powerful demon on his own and lived to tell the tale spoke greatly of his character. The fact that he could still smile after the life he has lived was nothing short of amazing. That he actually sacrificed what remained of his life so that his friends and his village could avoid what he suffered made him unique.

He would be an unacknowledged leader and his sacrifice would only be known by a few, and ultimately lost in history. He would be a Hokage that would slip through the fingers of memory and his deeds and accomplishments remain unrewarded. He would go without receiving the respect he and his actions deserved. Yet still, it was a willing sacrifice on his part, and one that he did without regret.

And for someone who has only wanted to be acknowledged, it was a sacrifice that few people could ever make.

However, he would leave a legacy and a way for his dreams to be fulfilled, and she knew that all the hope that he had, and all of his dreams would be given to a young Naruto to accomplish, even if the young vessel never knew of them. Nawaki had told her that he planed to train the young child to reach his potential so that he might surpass him and do what he, himself, could not accomplish.

She had a feeling that the young boy would be a force to be reckoned with, when the future blond was done.

Then again, she hadn't had the time to even see the boy and made herself a promise to go search for him before she was announced as the Fifth. She needed to see for herself, and without the villagers noticing who she was and what she would become, just what the boy had gone through. Moreover, she wanted to see and test his character; she needed to see if the determined boy from her new memories resided within the young vessel. She needed to know if her own dreams could be placed on his small shoulders.

Slowly, the hours passed and the records they were going through dwindled. Morning was coming to a close and she dearly wanted to get away from the damned paperwork. Sending a mild glare at Shizune, who just smirked at her and passed another log for her to read, she just resigned herself to finishing all of this as soon as possible.

One of the memories she received was of what happened when you ignore paperwork, after all.

Needless to say, it was not pretty. She shivered at the memory and tried to reconcile the yelling Shizune of the future (who looked extremely scary in the memory), and the quiet one that sat beside her. She wondered if it was because she was actually doing the work, but shook her head and just tried to erase the image of her apprentice looking that intimidating. She really didn't want to see the polite girl she raised in such a state, even if it was probably her fault that the young medic-nin was so frightening.

_I raised her after all_, she thought with no small amount of pride.

The Slug Tamer quickly turned back to her work, wanting to be done with it before lunch time while still absentmindedly thinking of the Time Traveler.

She marveled that he had developed such a technique, and once again thought about what a formidable opponent he probably was. Still, for whatever reason, she worried about him, maybe because of the memories she now had of him. Even if they were only a few, they were enough to make her care about the brat.

But those thoughts soon passed and she just wondered where he was at the moment and what he was doing. He had just escorted them to the gates of Konoha before departing, telling her and Shizune that he had things to take care of before disappearing from sight. The only thing that he told them before going off was to look for the Sandaime and to keep an eye on Naruto while he was away.

When she told this to Sarutobi, her old Sensei informed her that the Time Traveler had dropped in on him before they arrived, probably after he left them at the entrance of the Village, and reported that they were just crossing the Gates. She was sure that they talked about other things, since the old man was in a meeting with a few Jonin's when she reached his office, but whatever secret the Third had, he wasn't telling, even if she knew it had to do with the Rokudaime of the future.

It seemed that she wasn't allowed to know until she was sworn in as the Fifth Hokage, since it was a Kage-level secret, or so she was told. The fact that she'd never heard about such a level just made her ninja senses twitch and prickle at the obviously made up story.

They were probably just discussing the release of Jiraiya's perverted new book; though she hoped that the young Hokage was not a pervert as well and it was just Sarutobi-sensei wanting to cajole some spoilers from the brat. If Nawaki was a pervert, he probably already knew what those books were about and had poked at the old Hokage's curiosity. The fact that her Sensei was so tight lipped about the whole thing only gave credence to her theory. She remembered acutely when he told her one time that he was a scholar of all types of literature as an explanation for him reading those damned books. She didn't want to think that the Time Traveler shared such perverted interests.

He was too good for that.

Or at least, she dearly hoped that he was.

Regardless, he said he would return in a week or two and she would just find a way to trick him into speaking. She had some good memories of how to do it and she thanked her own intelligence at sending those recollections as well. If not for them, Tsunade was sure that the Time Traveler would have been able to walk circles around her, probably knowing how she would react in most situations.

It was cheating, of that she had no doubt, but thanks to some of her memories they were in a level playing field at the moment. They were ninjas after all; they were supposed to be sneaky and devious.

As she finished with the last of the reports for the moment, she stretched and dismissed Shizune, telling her to check out the hospital and see how it was working, along with checking with the status of the personnel, both ninja and civilian alike. She had every intention of establishing that medic-nin program even if it needed to be tweaked a bit. For now, she just wanted to know how things were and how they could be improved. If she remembered correctly, Nawaki told her that he had a few tips for that as well, and seeing as he was from a future where she was Hokage for several years, those few tips would probably be based on fact.

A ninja has to use every advantage at its disposal and having a veritable fountain of information on the potential future of the Village, well, they could easily use many of his suggestions and expand on them at the very least.

As she walked the streets, she noticed that only the older generation recognized her, especially since it was more then a decade since she had set foot within this Village, and even then, she just drew some curious glances as she made her way out of the Administrative Tower. Once in the village proper, she was overlooked and generally dismissed.

She didn't look like a ninja after all. There were far weirder and more interesting looking shinobi than her. Then again, maybe her transformation technique was to blame.

For now, she was glad for the anonymity.

Unhurriedly, she made her way towards the park where the Sandaime had told her she would find what she was looking for, but couldn't see her quarry. There were several groups of children playing around, running this way and that and doing what brats did the best. Make noise. Still, she kept a lookout for the head of short golden blond hair and kept her slow pace across the park, looking out of the corner of her eyes to see if she could spot him.

It took her a few minutes before she saw the small boy peeking out from atop one of the tree branches looking longingly at the playing children, his little legs dangling from the branch where he was parched at, trying to watch the park without garnering too much attention. If what she had heard was correct, most parents would glare at the boy until he moved out of sight, therefore Tsunade decided to approach him with care, not wanting to scare him off. She just kept walking, making it seem as if she were looking for a spot to settle in before seeming to pick the shade of the exact same tree the boy was hiding in.

She was sure there was a rule in the handbook that said that patience was amongst a ninja's greatest skills. So she put it to the test, making a show of looking this way and that, as if she were waiting or looking for someone; perhaps even sight seeing.

It surprised her, close to an hour later, just how quiet the child had been, almost like his counterpart had been in that bar, even as he sat there atop his branch, with his chin poised on his folded knees, his arms surrounding his legs and his sad blue eyes always watching. It broke her heart a bit to see him like this. From her memories, the boy should have been an energetic loudmouth and a noisily idiotic brat; it made her wonder what made him that way in the first place. So she stayed in place and continued to pretend and watch. He had not moved and she knew he was watching her, probably looking for a means to get away without alerting her. If what Sarutobi-sensei had said was true, and she was beginning to believe that it was worse then what he had told her, then the boy would probably avoid her at all costs; such was the reaction that the villagers had imprinted on him; To stay on the outside, looking in.

However, luck was on her side and a low rumbling growl was heard from the tree above, followed by a sound that resembled some kind of muffled squeak.

This was her chance.

Smiling a small triumphant smile, knowing that she had outlasted the little bundle of energy (after all, she knew that the boy had an ungodly amount of stamina), she quickly settled her face into one of curiosity before looking up. What she saw looking back at her were the most impossibly blue eyes, widened because someone had caught him, and a red face, probably from embarrassment. She started to smile but was taken aback when the boy's expression seemed to change, as if he was expecting to be yelled at.

He was bracing himself to be scolded, she realized. _Or worse_.

As her smile faltered, she swore on her grandfather's grave that the Council was going to suffer for this. But first things first, she slowly stood up, smiling at the little boy and joining him on his branch in one smooth leap.

Naruto looked startled, and a brief look of amazement crossed his small whiskered face before it was replaced with apprehension. He knew all about ninjas of course, since he wanted to be one himself, like Old Man Hokage, but he didn't expect this woman to be one too.

Crouching down on the branch to be closer to his eye level, Tsunade went about trying to ease the child a bit, so she didn't make any moves to get near him and simply said a soft, "Hey there," still smiling from where she was, a small quirk of the lips, while she looked at him.

"H-hello," he squeaked out, probably surprised that someone but the Hokage was talking to him.

"What's your name, kid?" she asked, her tone curious, seeing that he was getting passed his surprise, even if the apprehension was still there. Noting his stance, she knew that he was ready to run at any second.

A slight blush colored his whiskered cheeks before he spoke up, "Uzumaki Naruto," he said quietly, scratching the back of his head in an embarrassed way, but looking quite proud as well; not many had ever asked his name like that, in a kind way, after all.

Still smiling at the small not-as-loud version of the brat in her memories, she decided to speak, "Well, my name is Tsunade, Uzumaki Naruto, and I've been looking for you for quite a bit, the Sandaime Hokage told me everything about you, including that I could find you around here," she was saying, but the sound of his tummy rumbling and the red of his face interrupted her, "well, he also told me that you might be hungry this time of the day, how about going with me for lunch?" she asked, amused at his scrunched up face as he absorbed what she was saying.

However, the enormous, squinty eyed grin that he gave her after she finished speaking was enough of an answer. "Really?" he asked his voice so full of hope that it almost broke her heart a bit more.

Nodding, she gave him a small smile, "Really," she said firmly. And was not surprised to see just how happy he was after so simple a gesture, but she also frowned inwardly at the amount of trust that he was showing because of such simple a thing.

However, on a second glance, it seemed that his smiles were hiding his suspicions and hesitation, since it took a great deal of reassurance and kindness to get him to come with her and down from his branch, and even then, he stayed a good distance away and just out of arms reach until she proved her intentions to him. She got him to loosen up a bit by following Sarutobi-sensei's advice and taking the kid to a nice restaurant so he could get a good meal, even if it took one of her best glares and a few not so subtle threats so that they would serve him at all.

Thankfully, the boy didn't notice any of this and enjoyed the meal immensely, chattering to his new friend as any exited soon-to-be six year old would do, telling her about his favorite places in the village and how he was going to become a great ninja soon, seeing as he started in the Academy in a few months, even if a few years too early, along with many other things. She wondered again what happened to make him a loudmouthed brat by the age of twelve. His wide smiles and exited eyes melted her heart bit by bit, especially when they became genuine, and she knew after that day that he was still the same child as the one she saw in her future memories.

This time, however, he would not be neglected in the Academy and his potential would not be atrophied by prejudice. He would have a chance to grow and learn unhampered by close-minded teachers and cold unfeeling villagers.

Looking at his small smiling face as the boy spoke of his favorite Ramen flavor she made a silent promise to help him in whatever way she could.

-  
- o -  
-

It was neither hot nor cold, even in this harsh environment. He made sure to avoid the worst of the weather while still remaining undetected, traveling at amazing speeds without leaving the faintest of traces. Time ticked against him but he knew what to expect and how to react. He would arrive close to five days early to make sure that his timing was perfect, and that every eventuality was taken care of. To achieve what he wanted required precision and strategy. He could not let any stone unturned or uncovered.

This was too important for his plans, which were made even before he arrived in the past. He had made a promise to do this and he always kept his promises.

It was his way of the ninja.

Slowly, he made his way within the city, avoiding the patrols by climbing the massive walls and hiding his presence completely. He made no sound, or gave off any smell. No pebble was moved out of place as he made his way inside; not even the sharpest of eyes could see him, since he could not be seen. Not even the shadows told of his passing as he looked for his quarry. How he wished he could just do this and hunt everyone who had made his life difficult. But he didn't have enough power or enough time to pull it off, and if he did that, as he selfishly wanted, it would leave Naruto defenseless in the long run, and that would result in an even worst outcome. At the moment, he was the only one who could teach him without making him complacent, the only one who could train him without making him arrogant, the only one who could help him achieve his full potential while allowing him to retain his humility, his humanity and his compassion.

Anyone else would simple try to mold young Naruto into the perfect weapon; cold, arrogant, emotionless. Controllable.

A _tool_.

But he knew that his younger self had to grow and experience the world, and learn from his mistakes. He needed to accept himself and make his own way, allowing him to forge his own path. If anyone else were to train him at this point but him, they would force their will upon the boy and put pressure in the wrong places, probably breaking him in a way that could not be repaired, and could not be reversed.

They would make him a monster and those who could reach him enough to help would not be able to do so.

He remembered from when he was made a Genin, and even before that, when he was still in the Academy. Many teachers had ignored him and his questions, allowing him to fall behind the class, subtly discouraging his learning and ignoring his lack of progress. He became stagnant in his education and was soon firmly stuck in the end of the class, and not even when he reached Iruka-sensei's class could he catch up. Only his rivalry with Sasuke had carried him through his first months as a Genin, and then his desire to fulfill his promise to Sakura and bring his teammate back had been all the motivation he needed. That was what allowed him to grow as strong as he was now.

Where the Academy teachers had snuffed his desire to learn, his determination to bring his best friend back had fueled his training. This time, with the right kind of encouragement, the young Naruto would be able to gain a better work ethic than he had in those years.

He would make certain of it.

Taking care, he quickly reached his location and prepared for what was to come and what he needed to do. He hoped that the Sandaime was not having problems with his requests since they were an integral part of his plans. If his request was not granted then everything could turn ten times more difficult. Still, he had faith in the Old Man, so he pushed that topic, along with the rest of his thoughts, out of his mind. At the moment he just needed to keep watch and gather information. After all, he had an assassination to interrupt and a child to kidnap.

This time, Sabaku no Gaara would not suffer for long; he would make sure of that. His innocence and humanity would stay intact. Insanity would not claim him this time around...

-  
- o -  
-

"Hey, ojiisan!" a blond bundle of energy called out from the door of his office in greeting, making him look up just in time to watch Naruto run in and bounce around before stopping beside him even as Tsunade closed the door with a look of exasperated fondness on her face. It seemed that she had already fallen for the child's charm. "Is it true? Is it true?" the young boy asked pulling at one of the sleeves of his robe, rocking back and forth on the balls of his small sandaled feet.

Taking a puff from his pipe he closed the scroll he was reading with immense care, and avoided looking at the bouncing boy to avoid getting dizzy. What's more, it was greatly amusing to see when the blond child started getting annoyed, even if he did this to teach him some patience. Though, if he were truthful to himself, he would not be the best one to teach him that, because in the end he doubted that he even had half of the boys' energy.

When he finally stored the scroll and turned his chair in the direction of the incessant tugging, Sandaime could not help but smile at the pouting look that Naruto had on his face, which changed a moment later into a brilliant smile when he answered the child's question with one of his own. "Is what true, Naruto-chan?" he asked the boy.

Smiling sheepishly, Naruto simply pointed towards where Tsunade was standing, her mouth quirked into a smile and her hands on the backrest of one of the chairs as the brat simply rubbed the back of his neck, "Is it true that obaachan is gonna be Hokage?"

Quirking an eyebrow at his former student, Sarutobi could see by her twitch that being called grandma was not exactly sitting well in her mind, seeing as she would turn forty-five in a few days. Though is seemed that she wasn't completely adverse to it, what with Naruto still being alive and all and what's more, without a bruise on him. If he guessed correctly, he would say that Tsunade had to probably tell the kid about the _Transformation Technique_ she used to keep her youthful face and hide her real age, allowing her to look less than half her age. Making a note of asking her later, he looked down to the scrunched up, disbelieving face of Kyuubi's Vessel and just nodded in answer, outright laughing when his whiskered cheeks turned into complete doubt while he still eyed the Slug Tamer with absolute awe.

None but a child could pull off such an expression.

Looking from the Sandaime to Tsunade-obabaa, Naruto slowly made his way to the Sannin, who was now sitting in a chair and stopped right in front of her, a wide eyed expression of his small face. "Are you really as strong as Hokage-jijii? 'Cause he's the strongest ninja in the whole Village," he asked, making wide arm motions and looking at her serious face as she nodded. And nodding to himself, Naruto scrambled up into her lap to give her the best hug he could, his face turning serious, or at least as serious as his mischievous face could get, "I'm gonna be Hokage one day too," he stated clearly, as if revealing a great secret.

"Is that so?" Sarutobi asked, extremely amused with how close the Slug Sannin had gotten to the little boy in such a short amount of time. It seemed that the future was looking up for the young blond.

At that question, Naruto almost jumped out of his skin and scrambled from out of Tsunade's lap with an embarrassed smile and looked toward to future Hokage through his bangs. The Medic-nin, for her part, just ruffled his hair and patted the seat right next to her, motioning for him to sit down, "And why do you want to be Hokage, brat?" she asked.

Puffing himself up proudly and almost toppling out of his chair in the process, Naruto just gave them a dazzling smile, "I wanna be Hokage 'cause that's the bestest ninja in the village, an' all of the villagers look up to him," he exclaimed, pointing at Sandaime, "and I'll be an even better Hokage then you, ojiisan!" he finished, his face full of determination.

"You know that it's not easy to be Hokage, right?" Tsunade asked, somewhat surprised that the kid already had such high aspirations, even if he hadn't started the Academy and the reasons were not all there yet.

"Yeah, yeah! But I'm gonna work real hard," Naruto said, "and kick lots of butt when I get to be a ninja," he finished with a vigorous nod of his head and a look on his face that promised that he would kick their asses as well— when he was strong enough, of course.

Tsunade just smirked, knowing that the kid never made false promises, even from an early age, it seemed.

"Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about that, Naruto," Sarutobi said, standing up from behind his desk, taking off his hat and placing it atop his desk before walking around and kneeling in front of the small boy so that they were at the same eye level, "just recently an opportunity opened up and someone who is stronger than both me _and_ Tsunade asked me if he could be your teacher," he stated.

Wide eyed, the boy was speechless for a few moments before he whispered a question, "stronger then you, ojiisan?" he asked as if just that thought was impossible, and when he received a nod from Sarutobi, he slowly turned wide blue eyes towards Tsunade, "and you obaachan?" When he got a nod of confirmation from her as well, he looked back at the Third, his blue eyes reflected only amazement, hardly able to believe such a thing, "and he wants to teach me?" came the whispered question.

It seemed that the boy was stuck in disbelief.

"Yes, my boy," Sarutobi answered kindly, ruffling the child's messy hair, "he asked specifically for you," he said when Naruto's attention was back on him once more, "but you should know, you will have to work extremely hard and it will be very, _very_ difficult," he explained, but quickly noticed the determined look in the boy's eyes, "it will be completely different from the Academy, you know. Not only because you will be learning a lot more things in a shorter amount of time, but because instead of just going to the academy in the morning and then having most of the afternoons free, if you accept, then you will be training and learning throughout the whole day, every day of the week for close to five years, when you will be allowed to take the Genin exam and become a Shinobi of Konoha. Do you understand, Naruto?"

"I understand, ojiisan," the boy said, sounding astonished and excited that someone would want to teach him personally, someone even stronger then the _Hokage_, at that. And he knew with every fiber of his little heart that Sandaime-jijii was the strongest ninja in Konoha. Wonder poured out of his very pores as he felt the beginnings of something that he had never felt before.

Acknowledgement.

Whoever this teacher was, not only was he being praised by Old Man Hokage and Granny Tsunade, but he had asked for _him_. Naruto. He wanted to teach _him_, when everyone else in the Village ignored him, gave him cold looks and acted as if he didn't even exist. Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands he looked up when he heard Tsunade talk to him again.

"You should also know, kid," Tsunade spoke up, getting the blond child's attention, "that your teacher already knows a lot about you and you should do everything he says and learn everything he teaches you, since you will never get another chance like this," she finished, brushing his bangs from his face.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something but seemed to decide against it before starting to speak again, hesitantly, "why me?" he asked.

The Slug Tamer just chuckled slightly as she saw the scrunched up face, "because you're a very special little boy, Naruto, and you deserve to learn from the best," she said, "besides, do you remember how most people treat you?" she asked gently, only to receive a nod as he looked at his hands on his lap, "well, we are not sure that it won't happen in the Academy as well, and we don't want to take the risk. We know that you could be the strongest ninja in this village if you work hard enough and we just want you to reach that potential," she finished and noticed his blushing cheeks, but left him to his thoughts for the time being.

Sandaime, for his part, just stood up and leaned against the edge of his desk, taking out his pipe and looking between Tsunade and Naruto with an obvious air amusement. A look, that, when noticed by his former student was returned with a rather stubborn expression. However, before he could speak up, his attention was once again brought back to the young child.

"And when will my training start, ojiisan? I mean the Academy starts in less then a year right?" Naruto asked, still looking at his small hands with a slight frown.

Taking a puff from his pipe, Sandaime just waited for the boy to look up from his lap before speaking, "Actually, Naruto-chan, your sensei will come and pick you up in just about a week or so," he explained, which gained a wide eyed, exited look from the child, "so you need to pack up your apartment and buy everything you need before you leave."

"Wait ojiisan, where will I be going and what about my apartment?" he asked.

"Well," his attention was brought back to Tsunade as she answered some of his questions, "your sensei is going to train you outside of the village, in a place where there won't be as many distractions, and since that training will last at least five years, it means that you won't need your apartment, and you can just get a better one when you get back, kid."

By the end of her little explanation, Naruto was out of his chair and bouncing around in front of them, obviously excited, saying how cool it was that he had a personal sensei, and he could get to see the outside of the village, and soon started asking a whole bunch of questions one after the other.

Sarutobi just shook his head and placed a hand on the child's shoulder, "Now, Naruto," he said to gain the boys attention, even if it didn't stop the bouncing, though it was better described like a general vibrating since the boy's feet were firmly planted on the ground. Leaving that thought for later analysis into the mysteries of the universe, the Third just looked down at the wide blue eyes, which were sparkling with suppressed energy, "Tsunade is going to help you with all of your shopping during the next couple of days. She has enough money that your sensei left to buy the supplies you will need for the next few months, along with a list of things that you will require, so you should go home and start sorting things out in your apartment and begin getting everything ready, okay? Tsunade will go get you tomorrow morning to see how you did and to take you shopping, how about that?" he finished smiling, as the vibrating had escalated steadily during his instructions.

When he finally released the boys shoulder, Naruto was off like a flash, bobbing around and almost shouting words of victory and amazement, but ended up sounding like a stream of exited babble. When the bundle of energy reached the double doors, he just stopped for a fraction of a second and gave a small wave to them both before pulling the door open and scurrying towards his apartment, but not before shouting a loud goodbye to his Ojiisan and Obaachan; leaving Tsunade's eyebrow twitching ever so slightly.

After the door closed and complete silence returned to the office ever since the young boy stepped in, Tsunade turned toward her former teacher with a slightly dazed look on her amber eyes, "Talk about energetic," she murmured.

Eying her, Sarutobi just took a puff from his pipe and walked toward the window, "Indeed," he stated, "But if what Nawaki said is true, then that energy was never properly directed in his years at the Academy. He said that the first step with Naruto is to grab his complete attention and keep him interested while teaching him," he paused, "how that can be achieved eludes me at the moment, but if someone could do it, it would be him, don't you think?" he asked his former student, not turning away from his place, "after all, he would be able to give Naruto his complete attention, and the boy _is_ more of a hands on learner."

Looking towards the door from where the young blond departed, she simply shook her head and looked towards the Thirds back before standing up, "Well, they are one and the same, so it stands to reason that if there were anyone alive at the moment that would know how to direct that much energy, then it would certainly be him," she stated and took her leave. She had a lot to think about, much of it centering on a blonde demon vessel, both present and future. But first, she needed to head over to her office and finish up any paperwork that might have accumulated since lunch.

With a distracted farewell at the Third, Tsunade went in search of Shizune and maybe a warm bottle of sake after she was finished with work.

-  
- o -  
-

Time is a fickle thing, he knew, but at the same instance there was nothing as precious when certain situations arose, and at the moment he could say with absolute certainty that he would need every second he could get to accomplish what needed to be done. After all, he was going to kidnap the Yondaime Kazekage's own son and Sunagakure no Sato's very own Jinchuuriki during the assassination attempt that would have cost the young redhead his sanity.

The newly named Nawaki could not understand how a father could order the murder of his own son, especially one as sweet as Gaara was at the age of five. True, the boy could not control the sand that seemed to protect him or reacted to the fear and hatred directed at the young vessel from almost everyone in the village, but how can they expect a five year old to subdue and control a Tailed Demon without any help?

What was it that Gaara said? Ah, yes, he hadn't been trained until after this incident, since they became too afraid of him at that point. This was a defining moment for the redhead, when the Vessel of the One Tail Tanuki swore to love only himself, forsaking most of his humanity.

It took him the better part of three days to reconcile the cold, emotionless and hollow Gaara with his younger, very sweet if a little sad, version. And after seeing how the young vessel only wanted a friend to play with, a chance to rest, a hope to be like everyone else and simply be accepted and not feared, to understand why he was different and be cared about, only made his heart ache and his determination settle.

He would not fail, he _could not_ fail.

Everything this past few days had gone according to what he had been told, he was glad that there are no permanent guards watching over the young boy, but he was sure that when Yashamaru, Gaara's uncle, made his attempt, there would undoubtedly be someone to see if the assassination mission was a success or not. After all, the man would be going for the suicide-bomber approach, which allowed Nawaki some modicum of freedom with his actions.

Still, as he watched the small boy, his eyes sad, staring at the moon and sky, unable to sleep for fear of loosing himself and his personality, he could only hope that his timing was right…

Slowly, he made his way toward the Sand-nin that had just arrived at the scene, taking an observational position, but paused when he noticed another two more ninja's approaching; one of them was undoubtedly Gaara's uncle, the traitorous bastard. Considering all of the possible problems and finding the best solution, his nine tails quickly appeared behind him, poised and ready, and with no more then a thought and his will molding his Chakra, his body distorted and first one and then two exact clones of himself stepped out of his body, taking one tail each and leaving him with only seven tails.

It was a technique of his own creation, and it was the sole reason why Konoha had not fallen sooner, and the attacks on the Village were kept at bay for so long.

Without a word, each of his _Tailed Clones _(1) disappeared in the direction of the two observers, where they would place a Genjutsu of what they wanted to see (basically the successful assassination of a five year old Jinchuuriki), and allow him to intervene before that bastard Yashamaru spoke, and in so doing broke Gaara's spirit and crushed his hopes. It was on this night that Gaara proclaimed himself a monster; it was on this night where he found his bloody path of existence, and where Shukaku found a firm foothold in his soul, eating away at his personality until he was almost empty.

However, that would not happen again, and with that thought he disappeared, not even leaving a grain of sand out of place.

Yashamaru had already attacked Gaara and the bastard became the first victim of Gaara's infamous _Desert Coffin Technique _(2) True, the technique was not even close to perfect and it needed some extreme fine-tuning, but it did the trick, and incapacitated his attacker.

Knowing that this was the moment he was waiting for, he quickly confirmed that the two observing Sand-nin's were completely under both of his clone's Genjutsu before appearing right beside Yashamaru and placing a particularly powerful _Exploding Note_ on his chest, where he knew all the other ones were located, before standing slowly and walking toward the clearly unstable and distraught Gaara, who was watching him through tear filled eyes, his questions dying in his lips as he saw the tall blond step over his attacker, seven violet colored fox tails splayed out behind him, their white tips glowing with a clear, violet colored Chakra, even as a huge explosion engulfed all three of them, causing the small boy to close his eyes—

When the smoke cleared all that could be seen was a great crater with bloody chakra infused sand scattered all around as if in testament of the victim who died there; some of the sand had even turned to glass and shattered into different size pieces because of the incredible heat. Nothing bigger then a few inches and some drops of blood remained, and even then, those had quickly dried and burned in the heat of the explosion. The two witnesses would report that the assassination of Sabaku no Gaara was a success, and the Village Hidden in the Sand, Sunagakure no Sato, would celebrate the elimination of that particular mistake.

The vessel of the Suna no Shukaku was not mourned or missed by anyone.

…It would be more then six years later that those reports would be given a second glance, and by that time, when the reality of what happened that night is truly questioned, too much time would have passed, assumptions would be made and arguments would be raised. However, Sunagakure would be able to do little else, as Gaara had never been a registered student in their ninja Academy and could therefore not be persecuted as such, and even then, he would already be an extremely loyal Konoha Shinobi, completely pleased with his home and his friends in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Somehow, the two _Tailed Clones_ that stayed behind and made sure that the records and reports of the assassination were both misplaced and forgotten were never noticed, even as they disappeared with the wind a few days later.

Someone would say, later on, that _Sabaku no Gaara_ found a place and a family in the majestic tree of Konoha, becoming a _Sandy Leaf_ within the ever-growing, ever-green canopy of the Great Shinobi Village that resides in the Country of Fire; for he found peace within its branches.

-  
- o -  
-

It was with no small amount of awe that five –almost six year old– Uzumaki Naruto could, for the first time in his short life, claim true happiness. Yes, he had been glad that he would be able to become a ninja and go to the Academy; yes, he was joyful the few times when he had enough money left to buy Ramen at Ichiraku's; and yes, he was thankful when Hokage-ojiichan would visit him in the park or his apartment, or even invite him to his office when he had the time; even if it was only every few months. He cherished those few moments with the Old Hokage since he was the only one who even gave him a second glace.

The rest of the time he knew only loneliness, only cold hatred and spite. He was ignored and looked at with disdain, as if he were some irreparable stain upon the most expensive of tapestries. He had no friends, no family and only a small room to call home. His life was a living hell, not because he was beaten, since that had never happened, but because of the solitude, the absolute isolation that he experienced day in and day out. No human contact. No comfort. No love or care or even slight affection. Nothing. Where others could at least claim the companionship of friends, he had nothing but the trees of Konoha to keep him company. Where others can at least count on some kind stranger when in need of assistance, everyone turned their backs on him and in turn only spoke cold words about him. If he were ever in any danger he knew that the only people who would bother to help him could be counted with the fingers of one of his small hands, and even then, he would have fingers to spare.

He had his moments were he truly hated Konoha, and that hatred burned deep within his heart every time he was looked at with cold, unfeeling eyes. Yet, those moments, even if they were getting more frequent as the years passed, did not last for long and the memory of Old Man Hokage could always wash away those thoughts. Still, he refused to cry any more, he had already shed enough tears, and he had promised himself not even a few months ago that he would not give the villagers the satisfaction of seeing him weep. He promised himself that he would become a ninja and grow strong; strong enough to earn the respect of those around him, to make them see that he did not deserve their hatred.

At that time, Sandaime-ojiisan had helped him apply to the Academy and since that day he had been optimistic, even pleased, but never truly happy. He had long given up on wanting to know how happiness would feel. And even as each day passed he learned to see the good side of things and became accustomed to being cheerful. He would be acknowledged someday, he was sure of it; he would fight for it tooth and nail; he would shout and he would run and he would make the villagers actually _see_ him, and not turn their backs on him.

But not in his wildest dreams had he thought that he would feel acknowledged quite so soon. He thought that years would have passed, and he would have had to wait until he was a great ninja with great deeds to his name, like the previous Hokage's, to achieve that particular dream; the dream of recognition.

But he was absolutely wrong and he couldn't be happier because of it.

It had been three days and he had already packed the few belongings he would need with Tsunade-obaachan's help. He had been to see Hokage-jijii at least twice a day, every day and he had helped Baachan arrange her office to her liking. At the same time, she also took him to eat to loads of different places, and while Ramen was still his favorite, he could now say that some things came in a close second.

All at once, she had also bought him new clothes and some cool ninja full-body training suits which were made from some black cloth and had mesh around the sleeves, collar and shins. He had tested it out and it was very comfortable to move around in.

Meaning that he jumped and rolled with the outfit on for at least two days.

Today, even as they ate, baachan had told him that now they had to buy the supplies that his new teacher had asked for, and that they would need not only for training, but for where they would be living as well. When he asked, she told him a few things about his new sensei, but mostly said that he would have to wait to meet him, which would be in about four days, give or take a few. So they had that time to get everything ready. After they started buying all the stuff they would need, and he asked her why they needed so much, he was extremely happy that two more boys close to his age would be going to train with him as well, and become part of his ninja team when they made Genin. Tsunade-obaachan even said that sensei had picked them personally so that they would match with him and become his friends.

Since he had never even played with anyone his own age he didn't get jealous that he had to share his sensei. He had been prepared for the Academy after all, and he was just happy that he would have some friends. He could just wish that they liked him too.

Almost vibrating with happiness, Uzumaki Naruto found himself with new hope welling in his chest as he thought of how his sensei and his new friends would be. He couldn't wait to meet them and get to know them. From what Ojiichan and Obaachan had said, his sensei was very similar to him when he was younger, but refused to say anything else. When asked about the other two boys he would be training with, they said that they still didn't know who they were, and since something like this (where the teacher specifically chose his students) had never been done before, they had not even the faintest clue as to who else his sensei would pick or even how he would go about picking them. But they did tell him constantly just how rare this was and told him that he had to work very hard, which he promised to do.

It was on that day, when he made that promise, five days after he was told of his sensei, that Tsunade told him that she knew he could become a great ninja and achieve his dreams. On that day she took her necklace from around her neck and gave it to him, telling him that it used to belong with her grandfather, the Shodai Hokage of Konoha. She told him that only a Hokage could wear that necklace and since she would be sworn in just a few days, that she wanted him to have it and wear it when he became Hokage as well, giving him a kiss on top of his head and leaving him stunned for a couple of minutes, telling him to take good care of it, which he promised to do.

She too acknowledged him; had faith in him.

The smile on his face from that day on was blinding. His determination to make both the Sandaime and the soon to be Godaime Hokage proud of him only grew, and he couldn't wait to be a ninja. He would prove to them that their faith and trust in him was not misplaced, and then he would prove it to the Village and its people.

As it was, news soon spread like wildfire across Konohagakure no Sato; their Village would soon have a new Hokage, as the council had finally backed the Sandaime's selection and announced that the inauguration of the Fifth Generation Fire Shadow of the Hidden Leaf would take place in two days, when Sarutobi would hand over the reigns of the Village to his previous student.

Upon hearing this, almost every inhabitant of Konoha was happy, but those who had confronted the future Godaime because of the Kyuubi Vessel's presence in their establishments turned white. A few reconsidered their views of the Jinchuuriki when they saw how he interacted with Tsunade; happily chattering away with the Slug Tamer, as a nephew would with a favorite aunt. Few had seen the boy so happy and cheerful as when he was with the Legendary Medic, and this gave them pause.

For the first time since the Nine-Tails attacked, some questioned if they had not judged him wrong. Maybe, just maybe, he truly was just a normal child with a great burden.

-  
- o -  
-

For his part, Sarutobi was already busy making the necessary arrangements for what Nawaki would need where they would be training. He had filled the paperwork and arranged for all of the things that had been requested of him for this particular project.

He was amazed at the level of detail and thought that the young man had placed for what needed to be done; from what council members should be informed to which ones should be left in the dark. He named two members of the Konoha Council that are a risk for the Village along with their subordinates, both present and future. There were even details and how to best do and file the paperwork as to not leave any trace, so that their little project could not be discovered until the time when they wanted it to be.

The lengths that Nawaki was willing to go through were nothing short of spectacular. But as he saw it, and with the knowledge of what was to come, he could not see fault in any in it. It was all necessary. They had indeed grown both lax and lenient in the last few years. The loss of the Yondaime Hokage and such a great number of ninja's during the Kyuubi's attack left the Village with other priorities, and as such, security suffered and Konoha could have reaped great consequences because of it. Still, there was hope yet to be found, and mistakes would not be made this time around. Luckily, they were now talking about what "could have been" and not what was. All thanks to the sacrifice of one person.

Sighing, he lit his pipe and thought about what he had already done. He had sent Tenzo to prepare the selected training site; with his use of the Wood Element, he would be able to have everything ready in a matter of a couple of days; and Kakashi, who would be able to assist him, especially with all that furniture and equipment that they took within four giant scrolls. As things stood, Konoha would have an isolated, specialized, out of the way training area for its use for years to come. He didn't know what modifications Nawaki would make to what Tenzo and Kakashi did, but he knew that when the young man was done, it would be the most secure training area that the Village would have, even if it was about a days travel from the Village Gates.

Taking a puff from his pipe, he hoped that the future Rokudaime's mission was going well. Even if he did not know all the details, he knew enough to be slightly worried. At the moment he was on a need-to-know basis, in case the subject was brought up before Nawaki returned. Not that if it was, he couldn't lie about it, of course, but the Village was still not secure enough, and as much as he didn't like the idea, any slip, however improbable, could cause extreme amounts of damage to their plans.

He just knew that Nawaki was searching for another Jinchuuriki, and nothing more. He was extremely curious though, but he knew that only when the mission was done and its success or failure proven would the Sixth Hokage of the future let him in of the finer details. For now, he just finished whatever work he needed to do and arranged a few meetings, two in particular catching his thoughts.

After all, he needed to meet with Umino Iruka to arrange for him to do monthly progress reports on the three boys that would be training under the Rokudaime and in so doing keep them listed in the files and records at the Academy. This way, when the time came for them to take the graduation exams, all their records would be there, even if not completely accurate. After all, they would only be graded and tested on Academy subjects.

Truly, the young Hokage was unpredictable, if nothing else. No one would notice what was happening until it was needed, and when that moment came, everyone would be surprised. Or at least everyone but those selected who would end up knowing what was going on.

Signing the last scroll on his desk and thus finishing his work load about four hours earlier then normal, the Sandaime Hokage, also known as "The Professor" around and outside of Konoha wondered why he never thought of selecting a successor earlier.

The paperwork gets done faster that way.

-  
- o -  
-

Gaara of the Sand, as he had grown up to be known, was sleeping peacefully for the first time in a long time, even as he was being carried at extreme speeds by a Tailed-nin. Had he been awake he would have marveled in the surroundings as the Deserts of Wind Country turned into the Forrest's of the Land of Fire.

Had he been aware, he would notice that he was particularly light and would have been able to see his pale complexion, which had been denied sunlight since he was born. He would have noticed that his whole body was covered in violet colored seals which surrounded another, incomplete seal that was done all in black.

Had he not been in blissful unconsciousness, his mind finally allowed to rest, he would have noticed that his thoughts were uninterrupted and tranquil. He would have known what peace of mind felt like for the first time in his memory. Still, after years of not being able to rest, when forced into a coma, his mind jumped with joy, allowing him to dream sweet dreams.

Had he been able to open his eyes he would have seen a peculiar sight, for the violet eyes of the person who was carrying him held a particular look in them, one of complete puzzlement and amazement.

After all, after knowing someone for so many years, it must be quite difficult to find out that they actually _had_ eyebrows, when nothing had suggested it before. _Huh, they must have been under all that sand. Weird…_

It was a monumental discovery. It would be almost on par with the possibility of seeing both Fuzzy Brows and his Sensei _without_ any eyebrows at all.

He shuddered at that.

And with that thought firmly pushed out of his mind, Nawaki kept up his pace. He would arrive at Konoha during the late afternoon of the next day. At the moment, mother night covered his speeding shape and only the reflection of his pupils, which almost obscured his irises, could even be seen.

* * *

_**To be continued…**_

**

* * *

(1) **_Tailed Clones: _This is an improved version of the Shadow Clones due to the amount of Chakra they possess because of having about one ninth of the Kyuubi's chakra, the abilities that that Tail's worth of Demonic Chakra gives them and the fact that they actually share the same mind as the original. (More about this technique will be explained as the story develops). 

**(2) **_Desert Coffin Technique: _I know that this technique is followed by the _Desert Funeral Technique_, but since Yashamaru isn't killed by it, only crushed by it, then I thought that it would be better described as a first attempt at the technique that would later be named "Desert Coffin."

**(3) **_Jinchuuriki:_ (Also known as "Power of Human Sacrifice") A person within whom a Bijuu or Tailed Demon has been sealed at birth.

* * *

_**Thank you all for reading. Cheers!**_


	3. Fate of Hatred

_**A/N:**_ Goodness! Thanks to all those who took the time to leave a review, I was absolutely gob smacked that I got such a response within a day of posting my last chapter. True, I usually don't mind if I get reviews or not since I just like writing as a whole, but it warms my little heart to know that someone actually _likes_ what I write.

In fact, I was so motivated that I just kept writing, and it is because of that that you find yourself with a new chapter so soon. Although I feel that I should tell you that I usually don't have enough time to actually pull this stunt off very often. So don't hold it against me if work is burying me alive after this, ne? Anyways, I bet you'll all be surprised by what you'll find in this next chapter, seeing as I planned it for that particular reason. After all, I haven't seen anyone do it, or even tried it, for that matter… Maybe I'm just incredibly brilliant to try this out or maybe not. I just hope that it works out. In any case, tell me what you all think of it, ne?

Now, for some answers to reviews and general reassurances:

-+-

**(1)** No, I won't be bashing any of the characters since I'm not particularly opposed to any of them. However, some of them might not have the same prominence or come out in the same light as they do in cannon, so we'll just have to see how everything works out for that, I think.

**(2)** Also, even though I've put this story in the _General_ category, you should all be aware that there will be almost no _Romance_, if any at all, in this particular part of the storyline. This will be a three part series, and since this one will cover the pre-Genin years, I can safely say that there won't be any romantic relationships developing, and when one does appear, they will be at least 14 years old, if not older.

**(3)** As for Suna, well, we won't hear much more about it until the sequel. Without Orochimaru there to mess with the Kazekage, I doubt that they would attack Konoha, especially now that Gaara is not one of their ninja's. The fact that Gaara is not part of Suna also takes them off Akatsuki's radar, so unless something extreme happens it won't be a part of this story as it is in cannon. Then again, for those interested in the rest of the Sand Siblings, there is always the Chuunin Exams to look forward too. I _do_ wonder what will happen then...

-+-

Again, thank you to all those taking the time to read this! If you would like to have some input on how this story will progress, I have several ways in which some events can play out, so I'll be posting a question at the end of the chapter to see which option you like the best. However, I can't promise to go with the majority, especially if someone gives me an idea that fits better with the overall plot.

But enough of that. I'll just get on with it, so enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Three  
**Fate of Hatred**

* * *

There are many peculiar things and even more unusual traditions within the lands of the Elemental Continent, and especially within the ninja's that are but a part of its population. Regular civilians have different reactions to them; from awe and respect, to fear and apprehension. Every child born within the Elemental Lands knows what a Shinobi is and many legends and tales have been passed from parent to child for countless generations, telling of the great feats that they were capable of doing; from acts of the greatest kindness and wisdom, to actions so cold and ruthlessness that it brought fear to many a young heart. 

Yet, even if the general public doesn't know of these unusual quirks of ninja society, except perhaps those who live within their villages, almost all Shinobi from every corner of the continent follow them. Like wearing the identifying mark of their forehead protector, which even missing-nin's continue to use, for whatever reason; maybe because it gives them a sense of pride, identity or belonging, who knows. Every ninja, even if they are hiding or running away, on a mission or when outside of their village, forever wear their hitai-ate on their person. It is a way to say where they came from, or in the case of missing-nin, who they are forsaking.

However, within the many things that Shinobi indulge in, recognition is one of the only things that they get awarded with, whether they like it or not, by their friends, enemies and comrades. Seeing as the ninja profession is one of secrets and shadows, it is understandable that when they give their respect and recognition to other ninja's, it is in a very atypical way. Shinobi are not awarded material things besides their payment for a successful mission, or the thanks and gratitude of their village and clients. For when a ninja becomes known by others due to their deeds and actions they make a name for themselves, although it is unusual that they have any hand in it.

Almost every prominent ninja, both dead and alive is given a name by their peers for prosperity, maybe as a way to acknowledge their skills or their actions; for their names are sometimes the only thing that remains of their legacy. It is one of the highest forms of respect within their society.

These names vary in great degrees, from a title or variation of their birth name, to a characterization quirk that defines them. It could originate because of a specific technique that they favored, like "Konoha's Yellow Flash," the Fourth Hokage of the Leaf, named thus because of his infamous _Flying Thunder God Technique_. Or, like "Konoha's White Fang," Hatake Sakumo, who was known for wielding the famous white tanto that gave him this name. Maybe they are given a name because of their tendencies, as "Copycat-ninja Hatake Kakashi," who knows over one thousand techniques yet only one of which is originally his, can testify.

But then, from those ninja's who have made a name for themselves, there are those who surpass understanding and are deemed as legends, such is the impact that they have had upon the world. Three such individuals were the students of "The Professor," the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, who was recognized for knowing and actually using all of Konoha's techniques, which number in the thousands. The three students of his team, unlike any other team in Konoha, each became a great individual force and tremendously powerful; each displaying different talents, yet becoming almost equally strong, and even then, never as powerful as they were together, for which they were name the _Sannin_ by _Sanshouuo no Hanzou_.

Later on, when they searched and contacted the particular animals that now distinguish them from their other comrades, and gained that animal's blessing to summon their kind, that name evolved and they became known as the "Legendary Three Ninja's," or the _Densetsu no Sannin_.

Since then they have been called as such; Tsunade, the Slug Tamer; Orochimaru, the Snake Handler; and Jiraiya, the Toad Hermit. Since then, they have always been the _Sannin_, the Three; the Great Summoners.

Better together then apart, for together they were unstoppable.

'_What,'_ Sarutobi questioned himself as he looked upon the sealed and carved box on his desk, _'would the remainder of his students be called now?_' Would they become the "Legendary Two Ninja's?" The Ninin. Would Orochimaru be remembered as anything but a traitorous snake? Or would that particular name fade into the history books of the world as legend, nothing more then a memory of a time when a team of ninja as a whole gained so much respect?

Maybe, just maybe, when future generations speak of the _Sannin_, they will speak of them with awe and wonder, and they will remember them as they once were, as three parts of a whole and not as a friendship broken by betrayal.

Chuckling softly at the direction of his thoughts, the Sandaime simply relit his pipe and took a puff from it, looking out of the window to see the morning light stream atop the tree tops of Konohagakure and enter his office, illuminating the spacious interior. Truly, it is no small wonder that so many great Shinobi come from this very village, even when peace was so abundant within it.

However, things must be put into motion and he had waited too long for this, seeing that just this afternoon he would be stepping down from his position as Hokage. Looking at his desk once more, he called for one of the guards at the door. This would be the last thing he did before stepping down, and even if he was not the one who accomplished it, it was a weight that was lifted from his shoulders. Even if it was someone else who had to step in and clear up his mistakes, he was glad that his beloved village would not have to suffer because of them.

So, when he heard the doors open, he simply turned around and offered a nod of acknowledgment to Tsunade, who took a look at the almost empty desk and just walked to the other side of it, remaining silent as the doors opened again and a messenger walked in, standing at attention in front of the desk. Next, several squads of Hunter-nin and ANBU appeared in clouds of smoke, all with their masks on, which was a sight to behold. Rarely, if ever, were the Black Ops and Hunter Squads of Konoha called for such an open meeting, since their orders and assignments usually followed different channels, even if the missions themselves came from the Hokage's desk. But then, this gathering was not what anyone would call common, so normal protocol was not followed.

This operation could not go on record until its completion and all the variables that composed the situation were under control. Konoha didn't have the luxury to do this task in steps or at its leisure. It took Nawaki to point it out, but once his attention was brought forward, he could not deny that they had been infiltrated by their enemies, and that enemies had grown from their own branches.

But no longer; tainted leaves would be pruned so that the whole of Konoha does not suffer.

Turning and nodding at those assembled in his roomy office, Sarutobi walked from his previous place at the window and stopped beside his desk where a series of scrolls were located and looked at those present. He remained perfectly relaxed as the doors opened once more and three Chuunin teams and their Jonin leaders took their place behind the masked-nins, taking the same formation as those already present and arranging themselves by teams.

"Good, everyone is here," he nodded again at those assembled and they stood at attention, "this will be my last act as Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato before I hand this position over to the newly appointed Godaime Hokage," he said, nodding at Tsunade who stood there, her face impassive and her arms crossed, the incessant tapping of her healed shoe the only source of noise in the room. "These are the last missions on my desk and the last orders that I will give out in this capacity for what I hope will be the last time," he chuckled sadly as he remembered doing this before the Yondaime was sworn in, "So it is with great relief that I announce the defeat of my former pupil, Orochimaru."

Pausing as he watched the reactions of those present, he saw a few almost gasp, other's tense, obviously restraining their reactions, while others remained inexpressive save for the widening of their eyes. "Hunter-nin fire-squad nine," he ordered as he took the sealed box in his aging hands and gave it to the leader of the squad, the swirling red patterns of his mask standing out against the white, "here lies Orochimaru's head, process it and verify his identity. When you have confirmation, have the Bingo Book updated and send word to the other Villages," he said and gave two scrolls to the second in command, "his death is to be accredited to Konoha, and even though the one responsible wishes to remain anonymous, the reward for Orochimaru's head will be placed in the account listed on the first scroll. The second scroll contains information on one of Orochimaru's closest associates and his last known location, along with mission details. You are to find him and bring us his head, understood?"

"Hai, Sandaime Hokage-sama!" came the reply.

"Good, you will report to the Godaime upon the completion of your assignment. Dismissed," he waved a hand and immediately the Hunter-nin squad dispersed, already on their way to accomplishing their mission.

Looking at the remaining teams of Hunter-nins he picked out five scrolls from his desk and called for each squad, giving them the appropriate scroll with their mission directives, "We have information of Orochimaru's movements and many of his contacts and associates; you are to find your targets and capture them. Deadly force is authorized if you are met with resistance. Report to the Godaime upon your arrival, understood?"

"Hai, Sandaime Hokage-sama!" and with that all Hunter-nin squads departed, knowing that all the information they needed were within the scrolls he gave them.

Turning to the ANBU squads, he just took the scrolls from his desk and handed it to the captains of each team, "There are traitors within our walls; find them and apprehend them." It was short and to the point, the scroll had all other details, after all. "You are to take them to Torture and Interrogation where they will be processed; stand guard over them until such a time as it is not longer needed; Report directly to me upon the completion of this operation. Be swift, act as one."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" came the reply from the masked-nins, as they too disappeared. He knew that they would locate their targets and coordinate their efforts to apprehend them all at once, and in doing so avoiding any chance of communication between them. It is a good thing that Nawaki had given them a thorough list of those whose mechanizations were against the Village's wellbeing and prosperity. Adjusting his hat, he turned to the desk once more.

He turned to the three Chuunin teams in front of him and gave each of the Jonin leaders a scroll with their missions' parameters, "You are to investigate the sites listed in those scrolls, bring any information that you find and destroy the rest. Capture any shinobi you encounter and after they are subdued request a Hunter-nin squad for pickup. Understood? Good, then go!" he finished, seeing as there were only three more scroll atop his desk.

The messenger stepped forward at Sarutobi's signal and took the two scrolls that were handed to him. "Sound the signals for the Gates to be closed and the patrols to double until ANBU has everything under control," he ordered and nodded to the first scroll, "that scroll contains the security protocols that are to be followed; no one must notice our movements. We must not give ourselves away prematurely, is that clear? Good. The second is a message to Jiraiya; you know how to send it. Dismissed."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!"

Finally taking the last scroll in hand, he waited for his office to clear out, leaving only Tsunade and himself before calling for the guard and asking him to lead the representative of the Council that he had summoned inside.

When the door closed and without exchanging any pleasantries he just handed the council member the scroll, and waited for it to be opened and read, knowing by the widening of the eyes that the message was understood. There would be meetings in a week were he would take an active position within the Elders of the Council, as a direct advisor to the Godaime, and in so doing, strike almost all of the Council's power from their hands. They would regret having gone against him so many times since the Kyuubi's attack.

And he was certainly looking forward to putting them in their place.

They had been wrong to restrict his movements when he had been appointed as Hokage after the death of the Fourth. He would see to it that the system would return to what it was while they were still at war, were the Elders, which with him came up to three members, would be the counterbalance for the Hokage's power an not the whole of the council. The fact that he would support Tsunade none withstanding, the Elders could only intervene with the Hokage's decisions when they were all in agreement. And he didn't plan on agreeing with them too much.

He would make sure that by the time the Rokudaime was selected, the Council would be disbanded and Konoha's system was as it had been in the past. As it was at the moment, there were too many power hungry individuals in the Council, and they only thought about themselves. If he had wanted such people running the Village, he would have appointed Orochimaru as the Yondaime.

But those were thoughts for another day.

Looking at Tsunade, Sarutobi nodded, taking off his hat and placing it on his empty desk after the council member left the office. And what a beautiful sight that was. No paperwork, no mission reports, nothing. "You have something to say, Tsunade," he finally asked, relighting his pipe before moving around and arranging a few things that were out of place.

Smirking she just stood there, watching his movements with her arms across her chest, "Nawaki sent a message; he will be here by late afternoon."

Quirking an eyebrow at the lack of further information, he just took a puff from his pipe and turned to look out the window. Konoha was extremely busy today, preparing as it was to celebrate their new Kage. It was the perfect cover for the ANBU to do their jobs; everyone expects more patrols during these kinds of activities, so their movements would not be noticed.

As for the Time Traveler, he was very interested in what he had been up too. After reading the majority of the reports on what could happen, he knew that swift and extreme measures had to be used. Still, until the young man had everything under control, he only had the most basic of information. He sighed, knowing that his curiosity was going to lose when matched against Tsunade's patience and her wish to make an old man like him ask questions, so he just turned slightly and gave her the satisfaction, "And?"

Short and to the point; He was not going to lose all of his dignity if he could help it.

Still smirking, the medic-nin paused for a moment and leaned against the desk before she simply explained, "His mission was a success. He has the subject and is requesting that we move along with our plans and make arrangements for a meeting for tonight, preferably in the Hokage's residence. He said that privacy was paramount."

"Ah!" Sarutobi exclaimed good-naturedly, "That is good news, indeed. I will make the arrangements so that you can have the time to get ready for your inauguration; I imagine that he will need accommodations for the next few days?" At her answering nod he just moved toward his desk and began to write the summons for tonight's meeting. When he finished, he rolled up the scroll and called a messenger to deliver it. "There, I will go and make sure that accommodations are prepared for him, just incase he arrives earlier then expected."

"Excellent," Tsunade responded, pushing herself from the desk and making her way towards the door, knowing that her business with her former sensei was done for the moment. However, before she reached the door she turned towards the old man, a smirk still firmly planted on her face, "It seams, Sarutobi-sensei, that our next official meeting will be in my office, ne?" she asked in a teasing tone of voice before stepping out and going on her way.

The Sandaime gave a hearty laugh, quite content that he wouldn't have to spend so much time in any office from now on. Really, why hadn't he looked for a successor earlier then this? He would have to thank that young man when he next saw him; he really couldn't think of a better Godaime for Konohagakure no Sato than Tsunade. Though, if he was sincere with himself, he knew that no one would have been able to convince the medic-nin to take the position before the Time Traveler came along—

He paused, thinking. Which brings the question of exactly how was Tsunade convinced so easily. The more he thought about it, the more it occurred to him that that particular question had been avoided by them at every turn. Huffing, he prepared to leave to the Hokage's residence; it seemed that he would have to get sneakier in his questioning.

-  
- o -  
-

It seemed to him that he had just missed the party. Damn. He was just going to have to hope that Shizune was a fair player. If not, he'd be forced to interrogate a few people to make sure she didn't cheat. After all, she was a ninja and he didn't want to loose the bet they made. So he would have to head off any attempted sneakiness that the attendant might try, not that he thought that she could fool him in any case. He didn't get to be a Kage by being stupid. No, he was almost a hundred percent sure that Tsunade would have sent herself a memory of her own inauguration to save her younger self the effort of thinking something up.

He knew how the medic-nin hated writing speeches.

Smirking, he remembered Shizune's face when he had made that comment and the expression of disbelief that she had worn. So they had made a wager and he had given her a transcript of the speech Tsunade had used when she had been made Godaime in his time. Truly, he knew the Old Hag too well. It was the easiest meal he would get; he just hoped that the young attendant had enough money, since it had been some time since he indulged in a few bowls of Ramen.

Smiling ruefully, he adjusted his grip on the bundle he was carrying and diminished his speed. It was close to five in the afternoon and he was sure that the inauguration was after three, so the villagers were probably out celebrating. Still, he was satisfied with the side effects of the event since most of the population was near the center of Konoha and it allowed him to take the roundabout way toward the Hokage's residence, which was close to the eastern wall and almost beside the mountain monument.

Taking care to go in without being noticed was a bit more difficult when your hands are full with a five year old demon vessel and he found it strange that the patrols were so tight. It seamed that something else was afoot, but he'd wait and ask the Old Man about it later. Right now, he just wanted to get some rest. Or better yet, some food.

He was really hungry.

Then, seeing a slight opening in their guard, since they seemed more concerned on keeping watch of those going out more then those going in, he quickly took it, avoiding detection by cutting across several empty training areas and around many backstreets until he emerged close to his destination. With a quick inspection of his surroundings and a rapid assessment of the situation, he moved silently into the house, heading straight to the top floor, were the guest bedrooms were located.

On a whole, that was easier then he had thought. For some reason he had imagined having to fight half of Suna before he could take Gaara, and even then, he thought that he would have to at least exchange some witty conversation with the Kazekage or something of the like before he'd have to knock them down and kidnap their little failed weapon. But then, he had always been told that he had a rather wild imagination.

That thought, however, brought him to the matter at hand. Looking down at the peacefully comatose five year old, he gently placed him on the bed, taking care to remove the sandy sandals and the small tunic-wrapping thing that covered his arms and chest, leaving the boy in long pants and a sleeveless shirt.

When he felt a presence enter the room, he simply ignored it and continued assessing the boy's condition as well as the state of the seals that covered the entirety of his small body. It was something that he developed when he was looking for a way to subdue the Kyuubi and gain control of its chakra. It would first bind the Demon, interrupting whatever influence it had on its vessel, and help repair, reinforce or remake the seal that contained it, adjusting it in such a way that the vessel would not suffer any side effects from the merging. It took insane amounts of chakra, and the _seal-script_ (1) was incredibly hard to pull off, but the benefits out-weighted the risks, since in the end the seal would reform and change to allow the Vessel to slowly master the Demon's chakra, either by absorbing it and assimilating it completely or by helping the vessel conquer and overwhelm the Demon's soul.

For all intents and purposes, the seal was alive. And he would need to do was guide it so that it did not damage Gaara in any way.

Whatever the case, he would have to see what method of training would be best for the young redhead. But it was best to worry about the present first, so he pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He gave a distracted nod at the Third, who was observing the seals on the boy and proceeded to diagnose his health, which was one of the few healing techniques that he could pull off without having to rely on seal-script himself.

Placing his glowing hands atop the small body and scanning him, he took note of the results and nodded, relieved. The boy was healthy, good. Just a bit dehydrated and with almost severe mental fatigue, but it was nothing that couldn't be helped with either some water or the regenerative rest that the seal-induced healing sleep afforded. True, he would have a lot of explaining to do to the kid when he woke up, but that was nothing if not expected. He just hoped that his mind could cope with the abrupt changes. He would need to ask Tsunade to give him a complete examination just to make sure.

The Sandaime, who had remained silent while he checked on the boy, finally fed his curiosity and started analyzing the seal-script, looking completely fascinated. "I take it that this is the Jinchuuriki?" he asked the obvious question, which he nodded absently at as he waited for the Old Man to finished his cursory glance. He was interested in the Hokages reaction when he lifted the shirt to see the original seal, which was woefully insufficient. Startled, he just took a longer look, and asked, not looking up, "How is the child?"

After a small thoughtful pause in which he gathered his thoughts, he answered, "At the moment he needs his rest while the seal that I placed on him does its work. I think that he will be unconscious for at least five days, but it depends on how weak the original seal was. He is mentally exhausted, but nothing that Tsunade cannot fix and cannot be remedied with some sleep."

"And which Bijuu does he hold?" the Old Man continued his questioning, making Nawaki realize just by the way the question was asked why they called him "The Professor."

"He is the Vessel of the _Ichibi no Tanuki_, or the One Tail Demon Raccoon-dog, Shukaku of the Sand," he answered calmly, predicting the startled expression and slight pause in the Sandaime's study of the seals. But he had to give the Old Man some credit, if he had not been looking for it, he would not have noticed. "Yes, this is Sabaku no Gaara, the Yondaime Kazekage's youngest son."

When the Third stayed silent, he just decided to explain the situation and the basis for his decision; after all, even if he was pretty hungry he doubted that he would be able to eat until the Old Man was at least appeased. So he explained about the circumstances of the sealing of Shukaku into Gaara, the manifestation of the Sand, the treatment of the villagers and how the boy received no help in controlling his burden. He told of how the Kazekage had ordered the assassination of his son, how this was the first attempt, and how the assassination attempts would have continued if he had not interfered. He expanded on what had happened in his time and after most of the explanations were done he told the Sandaime about how he accomplished his mission, commenting on how it had been easier then he had expected.

"At the moment, and for all intents and purposes, Sabaku no Gaara is dead in the eyes of Sunagakure no Sato, and his assassination was a success," he finished, "now we just need to wait for a bit and register him as a Shinobi of Konoha. I have a copy of all of his personal records for when they are needed."

Nodding, Sarutobi finished his cursory inspection of the seal and tucked the boy in, motioning for Nawaki to follow him. "We will leave him here until Tsunade can have a look at him later this evening, I'm sure that you need to rest as well."

"Not so much rest, Old Man, as food," he said, chuckling slightly as they made their way to the kitchen, "I can go for long periods of time without rest, but it means that I need to eat more to compensate, and really, food pills are not very satisfying."

"I can imagine that. Sit down then, my boy, I was expecting you already, so there is a meal waiting for you."

"Yosh! Thanks Old Man!"

Shaking his head at the young mans antics, but appreciating his cheerfulness, he went into the kitchen to take out what had been prepared earlier. Truthfully, it lightened his heart to see a smile on his masked face. Until now, he had only seen the young Hokage's face set into thoughtful, or frowning expressions, or only with a slight twitch of the lips to show his amusement, and even that was difficult to spot. It seamed that much of his stoicism was due to his worry over the redheaded boy that lay in one of the guestrooms. But for whatever reason, he was just glad to see that there was still some of the energetic child that he knew in there somewhere, even after all the hardships he has faced.

-  
- o -  
-

In the end, it took quite a bit to satisfy Nawaki's hunger, which would explain why he had asked for so many supplies for their first few months at the training grounds he had sent Tenzo and Kakashi to arrange. But he was still glad. It was good to see some life in this old house.

They talked about a series of things as well; from the happenings in the village while he was away, to Tsunade's inauguration.

For some reason, when he had spoken of the Godaime's speech, the young man had cracked up laughing. When asked, the young Hokage only said that he had won a bet, but avoided speaking of the terms of the wager. So he just resigned himself and moved on to another topic. When they moved to the room where tonight's meeting would take place, both young and old Hokage's began discussing the most recent events, theorizing on the repercussions of some of their actions and what their options were at the moment.

It was this facet of the young man that he had known since his arrival. That quiet, confidant and assertive side that knew all the answers and could make plans for every eventuality. Those qualities alone would have made him a good candidate for Hokage; the fact that he was incredibly skilled was probably just a bonus. It was during these short moments with the Time Traveler that he saw what little Naruto could become. Truly, the child might very well become the greatest of all Hokage's.

The proof was sitting in front of him, after all.

Suddenly, Nawaki's face closed off and he was standing up and moving, as silent as a whisper of wind. And before he could say anything, the young man just _melted_ into the wall. How in Kami-sama's name the youngster did that, he didn't know, but he would try and see if he would be willing to teach it. After all, the common method to achieve this effect was either Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, and he had not felt either of those being executed.

Then, he heard it.

Footstep's.

He recognized Tsunade's voice only moments later, so he stayed in place, knowing that his former student would know to bring the guest to this room. But meanwhile, he entertained himself by trying to detect where Nawaki was and failed miserably. However, the next moment, the person they were waiting for came in, so he stood to greeted him with a nod, "Hiashi."

"Sandaime-sama."

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, please," he gestured for the Clan Head to take a seat. "Tsunade," he said in way of greeting, waving her into a seat before turning to Tsunade's apprentice, "Shizune-chan, if you go to the guest bedrooms, you will find that there is someone there who needs your assistance, could you keep an eye on him?"

"Of course, Sandaime-sama," she answered, probably knowing about the young vessel already.

"Good, thank you Shizune-chan," and with that the attendant headed out; young Gaara would be taken care of while this meeting took place. And while the new arrivals served themselves some tea he pulled out his pipe and lit it, taking a couple of puffs. It was then that he noticed that Nawaki's tea serving had also disappeared. Truthfully, perhaps he was getting too old for the ninja business. He hadn't even thought of that.

After taking a sip, the Hyuuga patriarch spoke up, "Now, Sandaime-sama, Godaime-sama, what would be the purpose of this meeting? Especially one that would require such arrangements to be made."

It was true; very few meetings took place in the Hokage's residence, even if it was one of the most secure places in the village. "Two things, really," Tsunade spoke up, always blunt and to the point, "Someone has requested to meet you and he has a proposal for you that would greatly influence the future of your Clan."

Impassive as always the Hyuuga patriarch only tilted an eyebrow in response, "And if this person is the one who has requested my presence, then why is he not in this room?"

"Because, Hiashi," Sandaime answered, "his mere existence is a secret so classified that only three people know of it. If there were a ranking above that of S-class, his existence would garner its use," he paused, gathering his thoughts, "It is because of this that we must get your word of honor as a Hyuuga that what you learn here today will not be told to anyone who doesn't have his express permission or our joined authorization. Take note, that to reveal this secret could very well lead to the end of Konoha and your death."

Hyuuga Hiashi, for his part, was greatly unnerved by the force of the Sandaime's words and their meaning, even if he gave no outward sign of it. He rightly deduced that only the two Kages and the Godaime's attendant knew of this, but his role in the whole scheme was completely unknown. The fact that he could not read anything from the two Kages and that no more information would be forthcoming until he agreed to their terms was a credit to them. Everyone knew that a Hyuuga would protect the Clans honor above even their own lives. However, if this mystery individual had anything that could involve his Clan, then his decision had already been made.

"Very well, I give you my word as the Head of the Hyuuga Clan and the Honor of the Hyuuga name that I will not repeat, divulge or discuss what I learn here this day unless it is with express permission."

"Good."

The voice almost made him jump out of his skin. He was immediately on alert but any action he might have wanted to take died in his lips as a tall figure stepped out of the wall directly in front of him. The young man had the most startling eyes he had ever seen, and that was saying something. The fact that the pupils were elongated only brought more attention to them. The fact that he couldn't sense him at first and could not read him now impressed him to no end. Still, his nerves were tingling and only the fact that the Sandaime and Godaime seemed to have been expecting the young man kept him from standing up and falling into a defensive position.

He just barely kept his _Byakugan_ (2) from activating, at that.

The young man just eyed him with amusement as if he had expected his reaction and was just waiting for him to crack. "Hyuuga-sama," came the greeting along with a small respectful bow, taking him slightly by surprise, before he sat across the table and beside the Sandaime. "I will try to get to the point, since we have much to discuss, so I will get the introductions out of the way. I am Uzumaki Naruto, previous container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune or Nine-tailed Demon Fox," at this, he just allowed his nine, violet colored tails to show, "and Future Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato."

And all of this was said with a straight face.

He was surprised to say the least, and this time he could scarcely keep the completely gob smacked expression from his face. Each one of these claims was more impossible then the next. He was almost on the verge of denying it when a sharp voice snapped him out of his disbelief.

"Use your Byakugan, Hyuuga-sama."

And he did. The veins on the sides of his eyes became visible almost immediately, even as his pupil-less eyes took a slightly silvery hue. What he saw would have made him gasp in shock if he had not been speechless and it would have made him stumble if he had not been seated. So he was lucky enough to keep some of his dignity intact.

The young man in front of him was an impossibility, he had the thickest chakra coils that he had ever seen, and not only that, but his chakra was almost solid, it was so dense! If he had to compare it to a regular shinobi's, he would say that it was like comparing mist to the sap of a tree. It swirled around but almost didn't move. And then he saw them, seals. There were seals everywhere within his chakra system, helping in the use and storage of so much energy. Even his muscles had a constant amount of chakra coursing thought them. And last but probably not least came what he was intended to see, for around his navel stood the _Shiki Fuujin_ (3) that kept the Nine-tails prisoner, or at least _had_ kept him prisoner.

And even if the _Eight Trigrams Sealing Style_ (4) was absent, which can only mean that he had absorbed all of the Demon's chakra, there was no mistaking it or denying it. Truly, no one else had that particular seal as it was created shortly before the Kyuubi attached, and then only used once. The young, twenty year old man in front of him was Uzumaki Naruto, when he knew for a fact that the Jinchuuriki was only five, almost six years of age. Either he was telling the truth or some crazy bastard invented an aging technique.

He doubted it was the latter.

However, his attention was drawn to the Sandaime when the old man let out a quiet chuckle, "Do not worry, Hiashi, it caught us by surprise as well. You should be aware, however, that I have already identified and confirmed his claim to the title of Sixth Hokage."

Nodding and calming his nerves as only a ninja can, he accepted the information given to him and stored it for careful examination at a later date. "I can understand the need for secrecy. I would imagine that the Godaime's presence and Orochimaru's death can be attributed to your involvement?"

Rumors were probably spreading quicker then they had anticipated if knowledge of Orochimaru's death was already known by the Clan Head. Then again, the man has the uncanny ability to know most of what was going on in Konoha. He did have eyes everywhere after all.

"Hai, Hyuuga-sama," came the quiet answer. "By sacrificing all but five years of my life when summoning the Time God, and expending almost all of my chakra in the process, I was able to come back fifteen years. It was our last resort, and it worked. This time Orochimaru won't be able to form his own village and invade us. The Sandaime won't die prematurely, leaving the village leaderless after an attack. Treason will be avoided. This time around, Konoha will be strong enough.

"But like I said before, I will try to make this meeting as concise as possible. You will have four days to consider my proposal, keeping in mind that the Sandaime and Godaime can answer any and all questions that you may have during that period of time. As for the reason that I won't be available myself, well, if you would concentrate your sight upon the guest bedrooms? Good, that boy is a Jinchuuriki as well. Those seals are of my own creation and are working as we speak to bind the Bijuu within him so that he can better control its power. As you can no doubt figure out, I just brought him into the village and I will be personally monitoring those seals until they are stable. For lack of a better explanation, I will just say that those seals are ever-changing and they need constant supervision until they settle. That process will take four days at most."

Pausing while the Hyuuga patriarch deactivated his bloodline limit and turned his attention back to him, giving a nod, "I understand," and Hyuuga Hiashi did indeed understand. Those were great accomplishments, to be sure, but he still did not grasp why they would risk such an advantage by telling him. As he saw it, the less people who knew, the better. So he decided to voice these thoughts.

"What I don't comprehend is what you might need that I could assist you with. I can appreciate the possibilities of the knowledge you poses in regards to Konoha in general, but why would you risk revealing this to me, when anything having to do with my Clan can be proposed indirectly through the Godaime?"

"Simple, Hyuuga-sama, I have but five years left to live, as I mentioned, and my power is not yet fully restored. It's taken almost five months to recover half of my chakra, and it will take more then five months more before I am at full strength. I have neither the time nor the power needed to do much more by direct intervention. So I will be spending the time that I do have training the young Naruto personally so that he does not have to suffer as I did to finally gain control over Kyuubi's chakra and so that he can do what I will be unable to accomplish. As I see it, this is a better investment of the years that I have left, along with helping the Sandaime and Godaime prepare the Village for what is to come so that it will be strong enough to survive and triumph."

"I see." It was worrying to hear such things, and the sense of urgency on the young mans voice was not lost to him. His time was truly short, and although he knew that a lot of details were missing, the message was still loud and clear. He would make sure to ask the Sandaime about more of these details later. For now, however, he concentrated on what was being said.

"The biggest risk that we faced was the combined might of ten S-class missing-nin from all over the Elemental Lands who were harnessing the powers of the Bijuu. When Konoha was about to fall under their attacks I used the technique that sent me back it time. If it succeeded, I could warn Konoha of what was to come as I have already done, and if it failed I died and the powers of the Kyuubi died with me. At least then they wouldn't have been able to complete their plans."

Taking a sip of tea he put his cup down and folded his hands as stared at the Hyuuga patriarch, "However, as I will already be training young Naruto, and his fellow Jinchuuriki upstairs, I thought that training a complete team from scratch would be more beneficial in the long run. Since they will grow, learn and work together from such an early age, I can nurture their friendship and teamwork at the same time that I teach them everything that I can."

Leaning forward slightly, the intensity in his eyes could be seen by everyone in the room, "By the time that I am through with them in five years they will be able to take down an S-class ninja with their teamwork alone without much trouble. Individually, they will be a force of nature when they reach their full potential. They will become the strongest Shinobi ever to live. However, Hyuuga-sama, as you may or may not have noticed I am one short of a full set and that is where I need your help. In return, I will tell you the Fate of your family and how it truly became the strongest Clan in Konoha."

As he finished he leaned back, his face devoid of expression; even if his clear violet colored eyes held the same amount of intensity.

For his part, Hiashi could see nothing but benefits from the proposal. He was extremely curious about the future of his clan and his intuition was practically screaming at him to accept. Still, he needed to know more first, about both general future events and what other actions are being taken in the present, but he could ask the Sandaime about the particulars later. At the moment he needed to know exactly which of the Hyuuga children did they have in mind, since that is the only conclusion that he could come up with for his presence being needed. "You know of a Hyuuga that can keep up and be an asset in a team with two Jinchuuriki's with complete control over their Demon's chakra?"

"Hai. However, this would not be so much as how powerful they can be individually, because the difference in raw power between each will be enormous. The issue here is the potential they have while working together."

"I see. What kind of training will they undergo? A Hyuuga is at its most effective when they master the _Gentle Fist_ or _Juuken_ fighting style, as it was designed specifically for the use of our eyes," this was one of the only things that he could find wrong with the arrangement. The possibility of the child's eyes not being trained properly with their bloodline worried him.

"The child that I have in mind was one of my closest friends, and by teaching me the basics of the _Gentle Fist_ I was able to help in the development of several new techniques that can be used with the _Byakugan_, so I will be able to teach it and supervise his use of it, along with many improvements and techniques that we developed while I learned it. I had also planned on paying you a visit every few weeks so that you might evaluate their progress in the Style as well. Aside from that, I know that the Hyuuga have as great an affinity with water as the Uchiha have with fire, so I will incorporate that in the training. Making that the foundation of the child's fighting style."

He nodded, some tension easing slightly from his body. It's true that he wasn't particularly pleased that a non-Hyuuga knew so many of the Clan's secrets, as this young man alleged, but he did not know what the situation was when the Rokudaime of the future learned of them, so he couldn't judge just yet. Still, even with that, the benefits outweighed the perceived slight to Clan tradition.

Looking toward the silent Kages, he saw them watching their interactions intently. And if their expressions were anything to go by, he could conclude that even if they knew that the young man wanted a Hyuuga to complete this team, they had no idea which one it was. He did not have anything against the vessels so that wasn't an issue. Besides, they were going to be trained on how to harness the power that they were burdened with. If anything, they would be an asset to the village. He would have to ask him of what kind of training would the vessels go through at a later time. He knew that he had just been told the basics of what he was planning to teach the young Hyuuga, but he couldn't blame him for not disclosing any more.

After all, he had still not giving any answer.

But he still had some questions though, "Where would this training take place?"

The fact that it was Sandaime that answered surprised him, "It will be in a new area a days travel away from Konoha, deep inside the mountains and forests of Fire Country, within one of the isolated Valleys. It should be ready in a few days time."

"That's good news," Nawaki said, "the preparations took less time than I had hoped, then."

"Which reminds me," Tsunade spoke up, "there were certain supplies that couldn't be found at this time, but most of it should be easy to locate not far from the Village. If we put it in as a mission request, we could have them here by the end of the week. Especially the medical supplies; there are some herbs and seeds that you asked for that are a bit tricky to find."

"That's not a problem, as long as we have everything when we set out."

Hiashi just looked between them, finally coming to terms with the fact that this five year training expedition would take place on the outsides of the village. The level of secrecy involved was mind boggling; especially if the three Kages were doing most of the grunt work themselves. Then again, once you take into account that two of those training will be learning how to manipulate Demonic chakra, it was entirely understandable. He shuddered to think about how some villagers would react at feeling the Kyuubi's chakra once more. "I guess that I have only one question left for tonight."

"Ask away, Hyuuga-sama," Nawaki said, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Who do you have in mind for this team?"

He knew that that would be the question. It had really taken more time to be asked then he would have imagined, but this younger Hyuuga Hiashi didn't seem as hard and as cold as the one he had met. He respected the Clan Head anyways, as he had helped him with his taijutsu when he was learning some of the Gentle Fist. He never did master it because it was designed so it could be used with the Hyuuga eyes, but what he learned was enough to make his own fighting style much more fluid. He wouldn't mention that, of course, it was enough that a non-Hyuuga knew the basics; if the patriarch found out that he knew more then that before he gained his trust would be a disaster.

As it stood, he had really come to believe that the Hyuuga truly were the strongest Clan in Konoha, so who better then a Hyuuga to fill the last place in this team? There was only one person who would be able to fit as well and learn as much. As the years passed they had become closer friends and were almost unbeatable fighting partners. If he could teach their younger versions to work like that while they were still young and throw Gaara into the mix, well, it was a recipe for success.

A perfect synergy of attack and defense, action and reaction.

Looking over at the Hyuuga Clan Head, he just answered, "Hyuuga Neji."

Nothing else needed to be said.

"Neji?" Hiashi asked, surprised. He had not been able to get close to the boy after his father had died, and his resentment for the Main House of the clan grew with each passing day. He had hoped that someday he would be able to explain the circumstances of that day and his brother's choice. He would have gladly died in his brother's place, but such was his fate, as all Hyuugas before him. But as he thought about it, maybe there is hope for his brother's son yet. Maybe he managed to change his fate like his father had wanted him to; maybe he had learned a different path…

…but then, maybe he still hated the Main Family.

Rubbing a hand to his temples, he gathered his thoughts and tried to think objectively. He knew nothing of the other two boys, so he didn't understand the role that Neji would play on this team. However, if what the young Kage said was true, then perhaps he could help the boy tap into his potential sooner and help him activate his Byakugan earlier. After all, even though children were taught the Gentle Fist from an early age, they did not learn how to activate and use their eyes until they had enough chakra to maintain it, which was usually after eight years of age.

Thinking on the boy, he realized that he was already in his first year of the academy. So if he agreed to this, it would raise all sorts of questions. But noting the scheming look on the Godaime's face, he was sure that things could be arranged in such a way that no undue attention was brought to him. Needing more information, he began with general reason, "Why Neji? Do you know of his situation?"

"Yes, I know of his situation. As to why him? Easy, the practical answer is that Neji will be the strongest Hyuuga to be produced in the Clan since its creation. He will inherit the Hyuuga Bloodline limit to an extent never seen before in your Clans history. He was the rooky of the year in his Academy class; he learned and mastered the _Heavenly Spin_ and other Main House techniques by simple observation by the time he turned fourteen. He became a Chuunin in his second attempt at the exam and a Jonin soon after at the age of fifteen. But those are only the technical reasons that will allow him to keep up with two Jinchuuriki. If he was able to do so much without aid and only the Academy's instruction, imagine how much he will grow under the tutelage of an S-class shinobi who will give him more then one on one attention."

Here Nawaki just frowned and a second later, three _Tailed Clones_ come out of his shimmering form, as if stepping out of his back. Gesturing toward the clones, their tails waved this way and that before they disappeared, leaving three perfect replicas of Nawaki, "This is one of my best techniques," he continued, ignoring the look on the Clan patriarchs face, "they are _Tailed Clones_, a variation of the _Replication Technique_ that only I can produce, for they are living, breathing copies of me that have the equivalent of one tails worth of Kyuubi's chakra in them. I can make nine of these clones, one for each tail that the Demon Fox possessed."

Interested, Hiashi activated his Byakugan once more, looking at the clones. It was true, they were precise copies, and they looked exactly like _Shadow Clones_ but for one very defining factor. Each of these clones had a different kind of seal that, now that he looked closer, could be found in the original. Confused, he took a better look and listened as what he was seeing was explained to him.

"I see you noticed the difference between us and the real thing," spoke the clone on Nawaki's left, "If you focus your eyes, you will notice that there are three seal sequences missing on the originals chakra coils."

Hearing this, Hiashi took a closer look and was amazed at what he saw. There were indeed three seal sequences missing that he had seen before, but they were not completely gone; a light grey shadow of them remained on the original, marking were the seals that the clones now wore had been located. As he followed each sequence of seals, he saw that there were ten sequences of seals on the originals body. However, just as he was taking note of this, Nawaki's chakra started to move and split, highlighting one of these seals because of the amount of chakra being channeled into it; the next second, another clone appeared behind him. Before his very own eyes the seal faded slightly, changing from the prominent black colored seal to a light gray one.

But then something happened that he wasn't expecting, all of the seals began to fade and then, only the chakra coils remained. At that moment, he couldn't tell the clones apart from the original. Their chakra flowed exactly the same way, down to the muscles and the slight film of chakra that seemed to wrap around their body, protecting it.

"Only a Hyuuga can see the seals that help me control the amount of chakra needed to create one of these clones," the young Hokage said, even as the clones disappeared within the original, highlighting the seals before they too faded from his sight. When the last clone was absorbed, he deactivated his Byakugan, looking extremely confused. "But I have long learned to hide them from your eyes as well."

Folding his hands once more, Nawaki continued his explanation, "The two main differences between my clones and _Shadow Clones_ are that when I create a _Tailed Clone_, we still share the same mind, so I could know what all of my Clones are thinking and doing if I wanted too, as opposed to the individual mentalities of normal Shadow Clones. The fact that only fatal blows can incapacitate them makes them unique. Just imagine, I have the ability to create ten exact copies of myself, and each individual one can be ranked as an S-class shinobi."

Hiashi was speechless. He couldn't fathom the potential for such a technique. He could make actual replications of himself. Fighting one of them would be like fighting the original. If he were to use such a technique in battle, he could overwhelm almost any force. After all, we are talking about ten completely coordinated, S-class shinobi. And unless you kill the original, winning would be almost impossible. If the young Hokage stayed behind, it would mean that to get to him, someone would have to eliminate his nine clones first. If the remaining chakra from the clones went back to the original as he had seen when the clones dispersed, he could just make a new clone or use the chakra for other things. He couldn't even imagine how powerful the young man probably was while fighting without the clones.

But there was something that he didn't understand about the technique yet. "How long can you keep all nine clones for any one time before you have to cancel them? After all, if the fact that they would share your mind is true, then it would stand to reason that you could become mentally fatigued if you use them for too much time."

Nodding, the Time Traveler gave a smile at this observation, "as you know, research into our mental capabilities produced by the Yamanaka family has proven that normal civilians use between five and seven percent of their minds. Ninjas are trained in such a way that they can use from seven to ten percent at any given time, maybe more. This technique makes it possible to partition my brain in such a way that each of my clones uses no more then ten percent of my mind each, which brings us to your question, Hyuuga-sama. I can maintain this state of mind without assistance for about an hour when all my clones are in use."

"And with assistance, how much time would you be able to maintain them?" Tsunade asked, looking extremely interested. "And exactly what kind of support would you need and what does it entail?"

"What I mean by that is that there are seals that can be used to put my original body into a sleep-like state, aided by some mind relaxing techniques and the like. When in this state, I can keep my clones without side effects until they are all destroyed and I have to make them once more. One downside of this is that these seals need to be maintained by another person's chakra. That I can remain as such depends on that person's chakra capacity. The other downside of this is that while I am in this dream-like state, I am completely vulnerable. Anyone with sufficient chakra control can maintain the seal, and I have even been in this state during an attack on Konoha while a group of Genin's served as my support."

"I see, so only those that can be trusted can assist you in this, and then, there would have to be someone strong enough to protect you and those maintaining the seals, should anything happen. But you are speaking of the maximum amount of clones. Is there a safe number that would not cause any discomfort to your mind?"

"Actually, Tsunade, there is. At the moment I can maintain three clones active at all times without having to worry. If I use more then that, the time I can maintain them decreases the more clones I use. However, the fact that my chakra levels are so depleted at the moment means that even though I can maintain them for such long periods of time, they won't have near enough chakra to actually be useful in a fight with anyone of Jonin-level or higher. But it is enough to teach three brats to be shinobi, I think."

At that statement, Hiashi finally understood. If he could keep three clones indefinitely without any side effects, he could easily teach the three boys individually so that they can learn at an accelerated rate. After all, they would get personal instruction by an S-class shinobi that already knows them personally. Making him a perfect candidate to bring out their potential and even help them surpass what their future versions would be like. It was a brilliant method of education, to be sure.

If it was true that Neji had achieved what the young Hokage was saying, even without any help besides Academy instruction and maybe some influence from his Jonin sensei, then how much stronger could the boy get if he learned from a Kage that probably knew him better then anyone else? That probably knew all the techniques that he had learned? That probably knew how he thought and how he acted? It was a startling premise. Would he dare not give the boy that kind of opportunity? It would only benefit the young Hyuuga and the whole of the Clan, not to mention the village itself, and that was all he needed to think to know what he would answer.

He would allow it. He owed at least that much to his brother.

"Very well, I will speak to Neji and inform him of this turn of events," he said, standing up and noticing that he had spent no more then two hours in this meeting. For some reason, he thought it had been longer. "I still don't understand all of the details of this situation, but if Sandaime-sama and Godaime-same think that it is in the villages' best interest, then I would give my full support," he gave a slight bow to the now standing Time Traveler who had earned his respect.

"Excellent," the young Hokage said, responding to the bow with a nod, "I would still like for us to meet in four days time, Hyuuga-sama, there is much that we should discuss that concerns your Clan. I made a promise to Neji when we fought in the finals of our first Chuunin Exams that I would change the Hyuuga and their Fate of Hatred when I became the Hokage of Konoha. I intend to uphold that promise here in the past as I did when the title and name of Rokudaime Hokage was granted to me, for it was his wish and his dream for the Hyuuga to stand as one, united. Only then can they truly become the strongest Clan in Konohagakure no Sato."

That statement was said with such belief that it made Hiashi pause as he thought of the future of his Clan and the prospect this presented. A united Hyuuga family had been a dream that he had thought lost. But if it could be accomplished, if the Hyuuga could truly become one; one with the fate to prosper and grow together and not the destiny to be forever separate, forever hating each other.

Turning toward the young Hokage, he gave him another bow, this one of gratitude, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Uzumaki Naruto. You have my profound gratitude for what you are doing and have already done. If there is anything else that you might need from me, do not hesitate to ask."

"Please, Hyuuga-sama," the Time Traveler said, looking faintly uncomfortable, "there is no need for that. And please, call me Nawaki. There is already an Uzumaki Naruto in Konoha, and he is but five years of age."

"Of course," he responded with a nod.

"Good, then," Sarutobi spoke up from the Clan leaders right as he began leading Hiashi toward the entrance, "If you require anything else, I will be available for the next few days. You should know that they will set out in seven days time, have young Neji ready by then."

"If you think that it would be beneficial for me to meet with the boy before our departure, let the Sandaime know and I'll be sure to pay him a visit when ever possible. As it is, I need to speak with young Naruto tomorrow morning before I have to start monitoring the seal," Nawaki said from Hiashi's left.

"Then I will bid you a goodnight," the Hyuuga patriarch said as they reached the entrance to the house. "Sandaime-sama, Godaime-sama," he bowed and then turned slightly to Nawaki, who was standing in the shadows so that he would not be noticed by any who would be able to see them from the outside, and gave him a nod. "I will be in contact; there are still a few things that I am curious about."

"Certainly," Tsunade responded, "we will be waiting and answer whatever questions you may have. Goodnight," and with that and Sandaime's parting nod, the Kages departed into the residence, probably to check on the young Jinchuuriki.

Hyuuga Hiashi would have not believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. But if there was someone who had both the power and the knowledge to come back in time, someone who had such a will that it changes the very fabric of destiny, then maybe the Hyuuga's fate can also be changed; After seeing what the young man was capable of and the sheer potential that his existence represented, then maybe it would be alright if for once, just this once, he allowed himself to hope.

* * *

_**To be continued…**_

**

* * *

(1) **_Seal-script: _It is a specific sealing style that Nawaki developed when looking for a way to gain control over the Kyuubi's chakra. It requires an insane amount of chakra and concentration to use, but at the same time, it is more versatile than the Numerical, Geometrical, Elemental or similar Sealing Methods. The closest thing it can be compared to is with the Seal Style that the Shinigami employs when summoned to perform the _Dead Demon Consuming Seal_, which you all know is the seal that hold the Kyuubi prisoner. 

**(2) **_Byakugan: _special pupil condition (Dōjutsu or "eye technique") that naturally occurs in members of the Hyuuga family.

**(3) **_Shiki Fuujin: _or _Dead Demon Consuming Seal_ is the Sealing technique developed by the Fourth Hokage where one summons the Death God to perform the actual seal at the cost of their soul.

**(4) **_Eight Trigrams Sealing Style: _is a supplemental sealing technique used in conjunction with the _Dead Demon Seal _to seal the Kyuubi within Naruto. This seal allows the two _Four Symbols Seals_ to leak the Kyuubi's chakra back into Naruto's own chakra, allowing for the Demons chakra to be slowly absorbed.

* * *

_**Again, thank you all for reading!**_

**

* * *

Plot Question (CLOSED):** _What should happen with the Uchiha Clan and Itachi? _

**(A)**Nawaki intervenes and prevents Itachi from snapping, thus avoiding the massacre completely._  
_**(B)**Itachi cannot be saved and Nawaki has to stop him when he tries to kill Uchiha Shisui or after, when he actually starts killing those of his Clan._  
_**(C)**They tried to prevent the massacre, but it still happened. Fate came and bit them in the ass (not literally)._  
_**(D)**The massacre happens but since Nawaki intervenes, Sasuke won't suffer the _Tsukuyomi_, andbecause of that doesn't become an Avenger. 

You should all note that Sasuke won't betray Konoha in this story. However, does Itachi survive his confrontation with Nawaki or not? As it stands, I have plans for every situation, and some situations that I didn't mention here.

Keep in mind that Nawaki or the Hokage can't warn Uchiha Fagaku. Only six to eight people will end up knowing of Nawaki's existence, and only Sarutobi and Tsunade will know everything. I can say with certainty that no-one from the Uchiha will know of him unless he directly intervenes to keep Itachi from killing his Clan. Apart from that, I'm completely open to suggestions…

* * *

_**Cheers!**_


	4. A Single Step

_**A/N:**_ Well, here we go! I received so many good reviews that I was shocked senseless; I greatly enjoyed both the feedback and the comments. So thank you for taking the time to leave your thoughts about what I write behind, I really appreciate it!

Now, there are a couple of things that I'm rather pleased about:

-+-

**(1)** There's the fact that I did surprise a few with the last member of the team, so my attempts to steer your thought process as you read was slightly successful; though I'll have to try harder next time.

**(2)** You should all know that the last chapters poll was a great help in clearing my mind and resolving the problems that I was having with the Uchiha's and their part in this story. You'll see when I reach that segment, and then later while that thread develops, but I think that I managed to come up with a better solution while still following the spirit of your comments. However, that'll be in a few chapters' time, so hold on tight until then. For my part, there are other minor plot and side-schemes that I still haven't ironed out, so I'll keep posting a question at the end of some of my chapters, but not all of them. Still, I can't say enough how much I enjoyed reading some of your ideas.

-+-

As things stand, I don't have much more to say. If you have any questions about the story, again, don't hesitate to ask them; I try to reply to most of the reviews that post questions whose answers don't reveal much of what's going to happen in the story. However, I'm always happy to clarify anything that I've written down already.

If you got that last bit there, then you're more awesome then I thought. I hope you like this episode, so enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Four  
**A Single Step**

* * *

The morning sun dawned upon the serene setting of the Village Hidden in the Leaves; its golden rays highlighting the morning dew and calling to attention that a new day has begun. Ninjas on duty patrolled without pause as the rest of the village started stirring and preparing for a fresh new day. 

Truly, this village has seen many things in its seven decades of existence, but it is the things that are not seen that offer the most interesting stories. After all, it is said that within the tree of Konoha, every single leaf has its shadow and its secrets. And depending on how the sun shines on a particular leaf, can the importance of those secrets be revealed, even if the secrets themselves remain hidden.

For there are as many different types of shadows as there are secrets in a village full of shinobi; there are those of little importance, shadows that dance and waver depending on the movements of the suns' rays; there are those temporary shadows that only show themselves when a branch is ruffled in a particular way; and even shadows that are darker and more steady, always visible but still concealing their true nature. If we were to make comparisons and find an example, we could say that this last type of shadow, this particular solid secret that everyone knows exists but still remains concealed can find its form in the _Forbidden Scroll of Seals_, among other things.

That is a particular shadow that everyone knows to be real, yet remains secret to all but a few individuals.

Then, there are those shadows that are never seen, but still exist. Shadows concealed within the shade of other leaves and blocked from the suns revealing rays by the tree's main branches, so protected are the things hidden within its shade. It is one of these particular shadows that lead us to this story; a shadow that remains hidden by others and obscured from ever being detected; a shadow that will fade slowly, never seeing the light of day, never revealed or lightened by the very rays of morning light that shone upon the village of Konoha.

Still, at this very moment, that particular shadow will find a new leaf to provide shade to his secret, even if the young leaf did not know, and may never know, what it is helping to hide. After all, not all those that keep secrets as deep as these know of them themselves. Or at least they don't discover them for quite awhile.

So as a tall violet eyed young man stepped out of the shadows that still lurked within Uzumaki Naruto's apartment, the metaphorical tree of Konoha and its branches shifted once more as fate and destiny succumbed to a more powerful force.

Nawaki's unbendable will.

Slowly, the Time Traveler stepped into the rays of light that flitted through the windows, looking around in reminiscence at his former apartment. He looked from the battered couch, to the empty cereal boxes and cups of instant ramen. He looked at the small table and its single chair; a story of the loneliness that the child who inhabits this room suffers in and of itself. He glanced at the strewn clothes and walked toward one of the many healthy plants that littered the small place. They were strong, with full green leaves. These potted plants used to be his only companions when he was young, and he remembered taking care of them until the day that he had to find a new home for them when they no longer fit into such a small space as a simple pot.

Finally, he turned toward the small bed, where the apartment's current resident was still sleeping, and watched, with a twitch of his masked lips, the tangle of limbs and blankets that are the present day Uzumaki Naruto.

He truly didn't remember ever being so small; wide eyes and button nose scrunched up in sleep; unruly golden hair sticking out in every direction like soft, agitated fur; big white shirt all bunched up along with his blanket, and his tummy, which the intruder knew intimately held the seal that contained the slumbering fox demon, was exposed for all of the room to see.

He idly wondered when it was that he had stopped wearing the glaring orange boxers with blue stripes and started wearing the more mild green ones with orange swirls. If he remembered correctly, he loved those boxers so much that he got himself a ninja outfit of the same color when the boxers started to get too small and he could not find any more in the same colors. It was his first ninja outfit, if memory served.

His violet colored eyes, now a shade or two lighter, fell once again on the golden hair and he noticed how his own was much darker, almost as if the gold had dimmed and become tarnished with age, when he knew that it was because of his heavy use of the Kyuubi's chakra. This time, however, he would make sure that it stayed the same, bright gold; untainted and unspoiled.

There were too many preconceived notions about Jinchuuriki's, and Jiraiya had measured him and trained him with that knowledge in mind; without considering the differences between one demon vessel and the others, and the particular difficulties that could arise from being the vessel of the strongest tailed beast in the world. After all, the Kyuubi had never been sealed before, and the seal used to imprison him had never been used beforehand. It had been a gamble to train him as other Jinchuuriki's had been trained, but he had to admit, they hadn't known any better at the time.

This time, the bright haired child he was looking at would not suffer those same mistakes or the same consequences. He would get to live a fuller, longer life.

It was one more promise in a very long list, one that he intended to see fulfilled.

And with that in mind, he plopped unceremoniously beside the bed and rested his right elbow on the mattress, holding his masked cheek with his right hand, and became still. _Watching_. Truly, he really didn't remember being so short. No wonder they had called him a shrimp.

Well, that's another thing he'd have to fix.

With a sudden smile, plainly visible beneath his mask, he thought of all the things he could improve upon, and all the things that he had not been taught in the Academy that he had to roughly learn with life and experience. His eyes focusing on the scrunched up face, he finally decided on a course of action and how to better approach training three young boys. After all, he had always wanted some kind of family when he was young. This time, the child in front of him would at least have an older brother, if only for a few years.

He would make sure that the young blond learned what a family was like from an earlier age. Not only would he teach them how to be exceptional shinobi, he would teach them how to be honorable human beings; how to love and care for their friends, along with how to protect them; how to have fun and play, along with how to learn and think on their own. He would give them these five years full of life, where every minute of every day they could feel that life and learn to cherish it, leaned to live it to their fullest.

And now, so close to the end of his existence, he would make sure that his dreams and his morals, his will and his hopes would all live on in his three students, his charges, and his past friends; now possible little brothers of his heart, if not his blood.

Smiling a bit wider at his thoughts, he gave them a new label; not just friends, comrades or precious people. Gaara, Neji and the small Naruto; these three would become the most valuable beings in his existence, they would become his very dear and priceless hope, for each one of them would carry a bit of his legacy and some of his heart. He was and would give his life for theirs, so that their lives would be better and their future brighter.

And as the small face that he was watching smoothed out and sleepy and bright blue eyes opened; eyes that he had not seen for years now, his world and his priorities reduced themselves in that very instance. Konoha was already safe and would become stronger then ever under the leadership of its Fifth Hokage. But it was while staring at the sleepy blue eyes that he had not seen in a mirror for so long that his priorities focused completely on the small child in front of him and the two others that would become a part of the same team.

He wondered if this is what a sensei feels when he gets his first Genin team. What with the knowledge of the great impact that your actions and teachings would have on their young lives. Truly, it was an empowering, all encompassing feeling.

However, his musings were interrupted when he saw the crystal blue eyes that were staring at him sideways clouded over with confusion. It was a strange reaction, to be sure. He had imagined that Naruto would have jumped back, startled, or yelled at him for being in his apartment. Instead the sapphire-like blue eyes suddenly looked at him with such hope that it was almost heart wrenching.

It seamed that even at this age the small blond could take others by surprise, even an older version of himself.

Perhaps his memories of himself were more tainted then he had thought. It was entirely possible that his own pursuit for acknowledgment had changed him in such a way that he could not even remember how he had been before. But still, as the boy took his tiny fist to his eyes and rubbed them, trying to find out if he was seeing things, he turned his attention fully back to his past self. Truthfully, he didn't remember being so cute when he was a brat. He was 100 percent sure that his whiskered cheeks would have been pinched to death if not for the demon fox sealed in the still exposed belly.

Then again, maybe that was a good thing. Grand-mothering old hags were a pain, if Tsunade was any indication.

Tilting his head to his left, removing his cheek from his fisted right hand, which made his long hair pool on his left shoulder in the same movements, his eyes curving up with the force of his smile, he took his now free right hand and gave a little wave, "Yo."

Kakashi would have been proud. Although he was sure that the mask helped a bit.

Naruto, for his part, knew exactly who the man before him was from the first time he opened his eyes, thanks to Tsunade-obaachan's descriptions, but was still confused as to his future teacher's presence in his apartment so early in the morning. No one had told him that he might be stopping by, so he was understandably puzzled. But then, after he rubbed his eyes a bit and his brain finally cached up with him, he finally noticed that this _was_ his Sensei, the man who had acknowledged him and his potential even before meeting him! The hope that had started welling within him when he first opened his eyes, suddenly come back with such force that it almost knocked him down. And the fact that the strangely colored eyes with the elongated pupils shone with warmth and merriment only filled his own small heart with happiness, for here was yet another person that did not look at him with cold, unfeeling eyes.

This man's eyes told so many things that he could not even hope to interpret all of them.

The boy scrambled out of bed in a second and almost tumbled head first into the floor in his excitement if not for his sensei catching him and setting him straight. His hippo night cap (although he didn't truly know if it was a hippo, but it did kinda' look like one) flopped to the side of his head; his wild golden hair poked out every which way, and the too-large shirt almost reached all the way to his knees.

It was then that Nawaki noticed the small orange socks (socks that he didn't remember owning), that his smile widened into a full out grin. Damn, he was cute as a brat.

"Hey, hey! Are you Nawaki-sensei?" a high voice, squeaky with sleep, but bursting with suppressed excitement, asked. Naruto was almost jumping with joy and nearly bursting with questions, if the vibrating was any indication. So Nawaki, still sitting on the floor after catching the stumbling boy, just nodded and practically beamed at the kid.

Okay, so maybe his memories of himself weren't so bad after all. "Sure am, kid. And I'm here to take you to eat some breakfast, maybe get to know you better before we set out to start your ninja training, how's that?"

"Yatta!" the boy cheered, stumbling to disentangle himself from the tangled-blankets-of-doom, "I'll just get changed, Nawaki-sensei!" came the quick response as a white shirt smacked him straight in the face before a small orange sock joined it when he removed the first piece of clothing that had attacked him. During his brief period of blindness, much ruckus was heard as the sounds of a hyperactive, crashing blond getting ready for the day reached his ears. When all obstructions were removed and his vision was restored once again, he noticed the almost-six year old as he jumped this way and that, trying to fit his other leg into his green shorts while attempting to put a black t-shirt on at the same time. The thing was, it seemed that the boy still hadn't found the place where his head was supposed to stick out, and both his small arms were waving around in a blind panic.

Chuckling, Nawaki just called out, "Kid, stop," and stood up, walking toward the now still boy, even though he was still hopping on one leg and looked like some sort of constipated flamingo. "You don't need to dress all at once, you know," he commented as he helped the boy find where his head was supposed to go, which in turn allowed the small blond to notice where the other leg went in his shorts.

Nawaki hadn't felt so lighthearted in years, especially when the small beaming face turned in his direction.

His smile turning suddenly sheepish, Naruto quickly finished dressing, put on his sandals and went toward his new sensei who was now curiously looking over the stuff he had packed with Tsunade-baachan for their trip. "Ne, Nawaki-sensei, what are you doing?"

Ok, so maybe he had added a few things that Granny Tsunade had forgotten about.

Like lots of ramen.

When his sensei turned to him, a smile still noticeable in his face, he smiled back without hesitation, "come here and sit by me, Naruto, I have a few questions for you before we go get some breakfast."

"Sure thing, sensei," came the energetic reply.

"Good, first things first, I'm not your sensei at the moment," he raised a hand to stall the protests that were about to come out of the boys mouth, which promptly closed, "we won't be starting your training for about a week, and even when we do, I won't be acting as your teacher all of the time, so call me something else while we're not training, alright?"

Naruto thought this over and grinned suddenly, "Right, Nawaki-niichan!"

The older of the two just smiled wider and nodded, that reminded him of Konohamaru, but then he noticed something; he didn't remember ever being so attentive as a child; was he truly so eager to learn before the teachers at the Academy had stepped on his ambitions? Well, he would make sure that the boy learned everything that would have been denied to him and more.

But that was neither here nor there.

So, derailing those thoughts and ruffling the blond spikes, he winked at the boy before turning back to the luggage, "Great! Now, we're going to move what you're taking over to Sandaime-jijii's this morning, and you'll be staying with the Old Man and me until we leave, so we need to make sure that you're not missing anything," he explained, rummaging around the packs and noticing the cups of instant ramen stuffed haphazardly with the clothes and other things.

Tsk-ing, Nawaki shook his head in mock-consternation, almost laughing at the look of complete and utter worry that had started to develop on the child's face because of his dramatics, "this won't do, this won't do at all!"

"What won't do, Nawaki-niichan?" The anxious look on the boys face was almost overwhelming; his blue eyes were so bright.

"Well!" the older blond exclaimed, making a show out of taking each and every instant ramen cup out of the pack and placing them right in front of Naruto, a severe frown on his face. "This, Naruto!" he said, waving the last ramen cup on the young boys distraught face, "you won't be able to take this!" he said with a seriousness that he did not possess at that moment, and the small boy was almost on the verge of a mental breakdown, probably wondering what kind of hell he had agreed to go to, where ramen was not accepted. The young blond had gone pasty white and was almost to the point of fainting when his new sensei spoke up once more.

"I mean, I learned to make ramen from the best _Ramen Chef_ in all of the world!" he declared grandly, the gloom being torn away abruptly from the young boys expression, "cooking ramen will be one of the first things you'll learn to cook under my tutelage, so you don't need to worry about bringing this trash with you," he said in mock disdain, pointing at the instant cups of ramen, "when I'm through with you boys in five years, you'll be able to cook the best Ramen you'll ever find in only two minutes!"

By now, Naruto's eyes were sparkling and a bit of drool escaped the corner of his mouth. "Really?" came the question, full of hope as it was, it made Nawaki grin fiercely. You could train to be a ninja while learning to cook, along with many other things that may seem to be just common household work, or even common games. He just needed to get the three boys interested in it, and then make it fun for them. They wouldn't even notice what they would be learning until he pointed it out to them, and by then they would enjoy it too much to say anything.

If nothing else, it would help them interact, work together and depend on each other. If he had anything to say about it, they would have better teamwork then any Genin team by the end of the first year with him, whether they noticed it or not.

Smiling, he ruffled the boy's hair again, "Really. I won't only be teaching you in the arts of the ninja profession, but I'll also be teaching you everything you need to know about life in general and how to take care of yourself in the future," when he finished saying this, two clones materialized in a poof of ninja smoke and blurred into action, cleaning and packing the whole apartment, "Being a shinobi is not all about fighting and strength. If you want to be a great shinobi there are a lot of other things that you need to learn."

Staring every which way in pure wonder, Naruto only saw as dust vanished and things started shining; how his clothes disappeared, only to reappear in front of Nawaki-niichan, folded impeccably. The empty ramen cups made their way into the trashcan and the bed was made in less then a second along with many other things. When his sensei started speaking again, packing his bags once more, his attention was absolute, "Yes, you need to be strong to be a good ninja," he started while packing everything neatly, "but there are a great amount of other skills needed as well. You need to learn the art of the body, taijutsu, and its most basic form, how to take care of that body by eating right; you need to know how to take care of and observe your surroundings and then learn how to influence it with ninjutsu. You need to develop your senses before you can learn to disrupt them or manipulate them with Genjutsu. You need to be smart enough to know when to fight and when not to. These are the most basic of things that make a good ninja, but do you want to be just a good ninja?" he asked.

Naruto shook his head furiously. He didn't just want to be some good ordinary ninja; he wanted to be the greatest ninja ever!

"I thought so," Nawaki said, his face as serious as can be as he turned to stare the boy in the eyes, "but you know that it will take a great amount of effort to be a great ninja, right Naruto? There will be days where you will be too tired to even lift a finger, days where you will be bored beyond all measure; there will be days when you will learn so much that your brain will feel like bursting," he explained and kneeled in front of a now solemn little boy, "you will sweat, you will cry and you will bleed. You will get intimately acquainted with the meaning of pain, but at the same time you will learn discipline and self control. I will show you how to teach yourself and prepare you for the time that I can no longer keep teaching you." His face softened and he smiled at the determination that he saw in those blue eyes, "But at the same time, you will have fun and learn to enjoy being a shinobi. You will find a family of brothers within your teammates and me. Do you think you can do all of that and more to reach your dream, Naruto? Can you give me your whole being; mind, body and soul, so I can teach you how and mold you into the greatest ninja to have ever lived? For you have the potential to do it, you just need the desire to achieve it."

And at his last words he suddenly found that he had his arms full of blond, shaking boy, babbling an indescribable amount of nonsense, his head nodding fiercely as promise after promise spilled from his lips; promising with all of his heart that he would work his hardest and make him, ojiichan and obaachan proud.

It was at that moment that he was finally able to separate himself from the young blond in his arms. They may share the same body, the same blood and even the same soul. But from that moment onward, they would be fundamentally different; so he tightened his arms around the boy, knowing just how much he had craved such comfort.

True, the boy, even now, showed the untamable will that he had been told that he himself possessed, and his spirit was just as strong if not stronger then his. But experiences would make them into two separate beings. They were the same, but they would ultimately share different fates and different destinies.

He had noticed it of course, but the true impact of his actions did not register as fully before as it did now. Now he could see just how wide a divergence his presence had caused in the stream of time. But as the boy in his arms quieted down and realized his position, his small body becoming suddenly hesitant, he knew that he had done the right thing; that his sacrifices were worth it.

Now, in this precise moment, he knew that he would have done it all over again, just so that the small boy in his arms would have a better future. Just so that this other part of himself could grow up with greater hope and a brighter tomorrow.

He hugged the child tightly and stood up, settling the now quiet bundle comfortably in his arms and ignoring the peeking, oddly shy blue eyes that were staring up at him, and directed one of his clones to take Naruto's luggage to the Hokage's residence, while directing another to disguise itself and buy them some breakfast. When both departed, he looked down at the small child, who was really too small for his age, and smiled a small smile, "Now, little one, hold on tight, we're going to have a picnic."

When he felt the small arms tighten, he took a look around and the next second, only the swirl of shadowed leaves could have told of their departure, and even then, no trace was left of them a mere second later. Uzumaki Naruto would never see his small apartment again, but in Nawaki's mind, that was a good thing.

Even the potted plants would soon find a better home.

-  
- o -  
-

There are some things that we can never understand and appreciate until we have lived through them or experienced them first hand. True, it is said that humans in general do not learn to appreciate what they have until they have lost it, or it has slipped through their questing fingers, but this path of thinking only leads to regrets, misgivings and doubts upon out past actions.

Sarutobi was not such a person, for even in his old age there were a number of things that he had yet to experience, or some experiences have already been forgotten to the past and fickle memory.

He found one such experience on his first day of freedom from the constrictions and responsibilities of his job as the leader of Konoha, for he was certain that even the last time he had stepped down, he had not felt so at peace as he was at the moment.

Peace of mind, body and soul.

When he had handed the mantle of Fire Shadow to Namikaze Minato (1) and named him the Fourth Hokage, there was still a feeling of uncertainty within his mind; his instincts had not allowed him true peace, since the last vestiges of war still hung upon the village and its people as a cold blanket. True, tentative peace was achieved once again between nations, but Konoha never had the chance to truly settle down before the Kyuubi had attacked. Several years had passed between the war and the attack by the Demon Fox, true, but Konoha and its forces had not been at full strength yet.

And indeed, the price paid that day had been too steep.

They lost a great leader and their strength had once again been stretched to its limits. He had to take the role of Hokage immediately and a successor had not been in sight for many years after. Then, he had forgotten to keep searching for someone worthy enough; strong enough to take his place once more, a folly of old age to be sure. If not for the intervention of Nawaki, the future of his beloved village would have been bleak.

Now, however, as he made his way toward the garden to enjoy some midmorning tea and maybe a few hours with a brush, he could not help but feel as if everything was finally going right. Tsunade would make an excellent leader and as soon as she had secured her authority within the village, he would step up to assist her where the need arose. Together they would reform the leadership of Konoha so that the things that happened in the future would not be able to happen again, even if the village found itself without its leaders. They would not allow for mere branches and roots to take control over the tree of Konoha when it was weakened.

They would ensure it.

Still, as he sat down and relit his pipe once more, taking in the serenity of his surroundings, he knew that it would take a lot of effort to achieve their goals. But then, all of their plans were carefully laid out and some had already started being implemented.

He was almost completely certain that by the time that Nawaki finished training his team or even before, Konoha would be ready for whatever the future might hold. They would be strong enough for whatever eventuality, and if he had anything to say about it, this time, his village would not fall. This time, Konoha would become stronger then ever before. They would stoke the fire within their souls and harden their wills as they faced forward.

But then he paused and silenced his thoughts, knowing that he was treading on dangerous ground. He chuckled slightly, acknowledging mentally that he would have gone on a tangent about the will of fire and some such things that he usually used in his speeches.

Clearing his mind, he took a sip of tea, knowing that everything that could be done was already being done. He had harbored his doubts about the Time Traveler at first, but evidence upon facts had been presented to him and then they were backed up with actions that had proved not only the young man's intentions but the validity of his circumstances. True, he had accepted his story on their first meeting, but his doubts did not cease for almost a week afterwards, when any other explanation of what he had been told and what had been happening, and the amount of information that he'd been handed could not be found. And then, when Tsunade had verified that he was indeed Uzumaki Naruto and the Head of the Hyuuga had immediately confirmed the same thing, all of his doubts had evaporated.

Then again, his instincts had told him that the things that Nawaki had informed him of were true, but after so many years of being a shinobi and looking underneath the underneath, it was hard to trust and accept things at first sight.

And as he enjoyed his first day of complete peace, he knew that his trust was well placed.

Taking another puff from his pipe, Sarutobi focused his gaze upon the swaying trees of the gardens, thinking upon several things along with the results of the last missions and orders he had handed out. Truly, he had not thought to look within his own walls for potential threats, but they had existed and were now being flushed out.

It was a sobering thought, but one that he should have considered before. It saddened him to know how many mistakes he had made, and the repercussions that his village would have suffered because of his short-sightedness. But he could console himself with the fact that he did not know at the time that his decisions could have such far-reaching consequences.

After all, usually it is hindsight that offers such a good perspective, not foresight.

However, whatever sadness that could have taken root with his regrets were quickly eliminated, for his mistakes were being mended by his hand and the hands of his successors, who loved this village as much as he did, if not more so.

Yet his thoughts grew distracted, even as his eyes studied the leaves and branches of a particularly old tree, gnarled and twisted as he was, yet still strong. He wondered idly, as a presence grew ever closer to his location, if his legacy would last as long and his roots would be as deep as that proud old tree. Would his existence and influence stretch as much as its branches in the garden of Konoha? After all, he would not be dying in battle as his teachers and mentors, Shodai and Nidaime had, nor would he sacrifice himself for the safety of the village like the Yondaime did. So he wondered briefly on such a triviality, if only for a moment, already knowing that his legacy would be so much more different then those of his predecessors, and turned to face the new arrival.

"Hiashi," he greeted, waving the Clan Head to take a seat, having already expected the Hyuuga's visit one of these days. After all, Tsunade would be too busy on her first days on the job and the Hyuuga patriarch would not dare to take too much of her time. If he knew anything about the younger man, he knew that this conversation would be long, if nothing else.

"Sandaime-sama," came the greeting as the Head of the Hyuuga Clan made himself comfortable while he poured his guest some tea. If anything, the patriarch looked more optimistic then he had ever seen him before, and he didn't need the powers of insight that their bloodline limit possessed to perceive it, for even as white as their eyes are, it seemed as if they were lighter then before, less shadowed.

"I can say with some certainty that I had not expected your visit quite so early, Hiashi, but at the same time, I cannot say that it was entirely unexpected. After all, you must have a great many questions after last night. Rest, in the end, always helps us clear our minds after such revelations."

Hiashi just inclined his head and accepted the cup of green tea that the newly retired Hokage offered him, "Sleep did not come as easy last night as it usually does, but it did not elude me for long after I had calmed my mind enough through meditation. Nevertheless, I did find myself wanting a few of those answers that I was promised, Sandaime-sama."

He chuckled, knowing that the white eyed man's curiosity would have to be nearly overwhelming for him to have shown up so soon, "then by all means, ask away, Hiashi, I have more then enough time for your queries. In fact, I expected no less."

Taking a sip of his tea, Hiashi arranged his thoughts, not knowing were to start, "I imagine that the only reason that I am even allowed to ask these questions is the need for my cooperation when it comes to Neji's involvement in this small project. However, I cannot say that now that I have the opportunity, that I am not curious as to the chain of events that caused Nawaki-san to travel back in time," he finally said, knowing that things would have to be grim for any Hokage to leave their village if it were in dire straights. Then again, a Hokage would not dare to ask anyone else if a sacrifice was needed; much like the Forth did when sealing the Kyuubi and his sacrifice became the only thing that could save his home. "I also wonder about the nature of the technique that allowed such a thing to be accomplished, for I do not know of any method that could achieve such a thing as time travel, and if there will be any consequences because of it."

Chuckling, the Third just shook his head slightly, knowing that even after asking such things that the family patriarch was still withholding a great amount of his curiosity. "The first thing that you must understand is that it is the level of respect and trust that Nawaki has for you that allow your involvement in this project. If Neji's connection was the only reason, then another road would have been taken to ensure his participation. As it stands, the Rokudaime values your council and respects your integrity enough to be a part of the very few people that will know of his existence."

Sarutobi paused, relighting his pipe and letting his words sink in, "The excuse that we are using for the records; that of a high ranked Konoha shinobi taking the boys under an apprenticeship outside of the village would have been enough to convince you otherwise. But Nawaki thinks that there should be a specific number of people who know the whole story, and thus allow for enough background and cover to be placed for when the children return from their training under him. As I see it, he is selecting very specific people within the village hierarchy, and at the same time, those who he has chosen he says that he would not only trust with his life, but with his very soul."

These words comforted the Hyuuga, seeing as he was asking himself why so much sensitive information had been released to him. But personal reasons aside, he could see how notifying key people within their village would allow to not only supervise, but control any speculations and reactions that might arise when the boys returned from their training, or even any concerns that might arise due to the Vessels absence. The fact that the Hyuuga was involved would settle most concerns with their mere participation.

His attention was brought to the Sandaime once again when the old man continued, "I will explain the events that led young Nawaki to take such measures, but I will ease your mind a bit first. The method used to travel in time is not one that a normal human can use, since we have neither the amount, nor the type of chakra necessary to perform it. As it was explained to me, by summoning the Time God, any consequences besides the sacrifice needed to summon him are rendered null and void, as the God of Time supersedes even the Shinigami or Death God, for time has been and always will be; It is ever existing and ever flowing, whilst life and death are temporary and inconsequential when compared to it. Nawaki told me that time is like an ever growing rope, whose beginning or end is just as unfathomable as eternity."

The Sandaime paused for a moment and searched within his pockets, taking out a length of rope which Hiashi could only assume was there for his benefit, "What the technique does is this," he said holding the extended piece if rope by the center, "if time were represented as a rope with no beginning and no end, then by summoning the God of Time himself, Nawaki effectively interchanged his future into our future. Simply put, if this end of the rope represented the present and the rope lengthened with each passing second, then upon summoning the Time God, time literally stopped and its flow, like this rope, was bent towards the past and tied to our present," here the Hokage took the rope and made a knot, leaving a big loop, "if we take this as an example, and we consider that the length of rope to my left is the past, then this knot represents Nawaki's influence in our time and the loop would represent his own past."

It was extremely confusing to be sure, but at the same time, it made an odd sort of sense. As the Sandaime continued and explained the sacrifice needed to perform the technique, as well as how it worked, he finally understood, even if vaguely, not just the amount of power needed to perform it, but the risk taken and sacrifice given to accomplish it. It basically meant that the Rokudaime, through this technique, sacrificed his own future for a chance to influence his past; the technique twisted time in such a way that it made a metaphorical knot in the flow of time, where Nawaki's past becomes void to all but him and his future was literally tied with theirs, effectively changing his past with his mere presence, creating a divergence in their fate and their destiny.

To think that something like this could be done was mind boggling. But then, he had thought the same when the Yondaime had devised a way to summon the Shinigami to seal away the most powerful of the Bijuu (2).

Shaking his head slightly, he turned his attention toward the Sandaime, who started to give him an overview of how things had turned out in Nawaki's future and the reasons behind the young man's sacrifice. He was told about Konoha and how it was attacked by Orochimaru. He learned of the Akatsuki and some of their goals, and most important of all, he learned just why training these three boys was so important to the future Hokage. True, the young man could have easily waited until he had enough strength to hunt down those that would cause so much destruction with their ambitions, but that would not have secured their future, and his sacrifice could have very well be rendered useless. So he did the best next thing, he was going to prepare those who had the best chance of defeating their enemies. He was sure that if it weren't for the amount of secrecy needed to keep their possible enemies ignorant, the young Hokage would have trained even more of his young counterpart's contemporaries.

As it was, he was sure that the Academy's standards would be rising dramatically, if slowly, so that the change would not register in the other shinobi villages. And as the now retired Hokage kept speaking, he could not help but respect the young man more and more, since it was because of him that hope shined between the branches and leaves of Konoha and its future.

-  
- o -  
-

Nawaki had experienced a great many things, but after the morning he had spent with five year old Uzumaki Naruto, he began to understand why he had been named _Konoha's Most Surprising Ninja_ in his early years. The fact that he was an older version of the small blonde did nothing to prepare him for the experience of being surprised so much and in such a short period of time.

His inner balance was tipped and rattled to its limits.

How Iruka, Kakashi and Jiraiya had dealt with him he would never understand. For after experiencing a small dose of what they had to put up with he could now say that they had his undying respect. Never again would he blame them for being perverts, since it was probably a coping mechanism against so much instability. It was all because the boy, his younger version, had a certain knack at being almost impossible to read or predict; a skill that all highly ranked shinobi prized. That's not to say that his morning was unpleasant in the least, since the boy was the perfect student; attentive and enthusiastic. The child had a thirst to learn and to prove himself that was unparallel, but the way he had reacted to the things he had told the boy had been completely unexpected.

He had waited to see sadness reflected upon the sapphire blue eyes, but only saw the boys determination be tempered and hardened with understanding. He had envisioned the boy screaming at the top of his lungs and asking a million questions at the same time, not a pensive, collected child whose voice only softened as the conversation went on. He had anticipated a deluge of accusations and insecurities, not a growth in confidence and self-assurance. In short, he had expected the boy to react as he would have reacted at the age of twelve, and was treated to the sight of reactions that he would have had not long after turning sixteen.

Had he truly become more immature and childish as everyone denied him the attention that he craved? Had he truly learned to react without thinking as his dreams were belittled and his hopes crushed under the disregard of the Academy's teachers? He hadn't know how much he had changed when faced with so much passive hostility, but as he looked into those bright blue eyes, he knew that it wasn't that he had changed, for the same will and the same spirit resided within the small boy; a boy with such big dreams and such fierce determination. No, he had not changed, but learned to react to his surroundings in different ways.

He learned to call for attention when none was given; he learned to shout out loud when his voice was not heard; he learned to ignore the teachings of his classes when no one was willing to help him understand them. They had ignored him and he had leaned to react by pushing back and jumping in front of them with his arms waving around. All for just a small amount of attention, however slight; even an annoyed look would bring a smile to his face, for at least then he knew he was being noticed.

But to see it all firsthand, when even his own memories were clouded and unclear, was an extreme surprise. Maybe he should not expect the boy to react as he would have, maybe that was his mistake. True, he understood that even though they would were inherently the same, they would grow differently because of their circumstances, but he had not taken into consideration that the discrepancy would be so readily noticeable.

Perhaps, yes, perhaps he should stop measuring the child with his own experiences and start assessing him as his own person. The boy deserved that much, at least.

He looked down and gave the small hand that he was holding a slight squeeze, giving a wink at the young blonde when he turned to look up at his sensei, which in turn made the boy smile just a little bit wider. It was almost lunch time and they were headed towards the Hokage residence, where Naruto would get to see Gaara and learn more about seals and the Demon imprisoned within him, as well as the one sealed within his new teammate, while he watched his sensei manipulate the Shukaku's seal.

They had discussed the basics in their picnic, but there were details that still needed to be explained. He had been amazed at how well young Naruto accepted the information and was extremely proud of him. The boy told him that he felt honored that the Forth had chosen him to bear such a burden and included him in his list of people he wanted to make proud of him, which seemed to keep growing longer each day.

Breakfast had been a loud affair, but as he explained about the Fox to the boy and marking the difference between the demon and him, its container, the mood became contemplative.

Nawaki explained everything he could, from the battle with the Kyuubi to how it was sealed and why the villagers ignored or hated him. The entire morning ended up as a great discussion of human nature with a soon-to-be six year old boy whose understanding of the topic was far greater then normal.

Still, when he channeled a bit of chakra into the young blond, and the seal appeared on his belly, Naruto was soon exclaiming about how cool it was, and started asking question after question about it, apart from asking what other things where seals used for. So with his enthusiasm rekindled, Nawaki was now leading the child to Gaara's room, where he would start Naruto on the very basics of seals, and put him to work straight away while he supervised the redhead's condition.

For the next few days, Naruto could be easily found at Nawaki's side or with one of his clones, his face scrunched up in concentration, the tip of his tongue poking out, and a small brush in hand, practicing his writing and his characters, knowing that if he made a mistake on the characters, any seal that he learned to do would be rendered useless. So he practiced writing, and started reading a few things that his sensei told him to read, often asking questions and getting the help that his older version never received.

Reading and writing, after all, was the best way to start the boy's training.

Sarutobi would sometimes spend time with the little blond when Nawaki was dealing with an especially tricky part of Gaara's seal, but it was almost impossible to not find the blue eyed child almost constantly at his sensei's side, and always with a scroll in one hand and a brush and ink on the other. Nawaki wondered briefly if the small, ink cover fingers and splattered whiskered cheeks would ever be the same color again. But Naruto enjoyed it nonetheless, he knew that it was just a first step toward his dream, and he was willing to put one foot in front of the other and let his sensei guide his path.

Such was the trust that the Time Traveler had earned in his past self's young heart.

After all, a journey of a thousand miles starts with but a single step. Where that step would take him could very well remain unknown, but it just so happens that for the start of this particular journey, he had a map that would not lead him astray.

-  
- o -  
-

The preparations were soon complete on all accounts, even if only a handful of people knew that anything of significance was taking place. Tsunade whished that she had a bit more time to spend with the young Naruto, but settling into her position came as a priority, especially since she could always spend a bit of time at nights with him, even if the last couple of days she had found the boy asleep on an opened scroll, his face specked with ink and his golden blond hair sporting a few black streaks.

It was amazing really, watching the drive within those bright blue eyes, as the young blond bent all of his will and determination into getting the characters and letters he was working on just right. Sure, he was just copying the patters of the characters and probably didn't understand what he was doing completely, but still. That a six year old child could find such activities interesting were baffling to say the least. But if the constant chatter that she'd witnessed him hold with Sarutobi-sensei, the old man with his own larger brush in hand, it was certain that the brat would perfect his calligraphy in no time.

She had already seen when Nawaki would make the boy copy all sort of things to improve his already flourishing penmanship. The fact that what he was making him copy were the basics of a shinobi's education was probably lost on Naruto, who was more concerned with his characters then anything else.

Still, the child seemed to enjoy it, especially when one of them commented on how well he was progressing. He took their criticism with a smile, allowing them to show him when he had made a mistake and then spending hours on each individual character until he had it just right. His perseverance was just as she had seen on her future memories, and that made her smile slightly, admiring his hard work.

But as she focused on yet another report, her thoughts drifted to other matters concerning the group's departure. After all, they were leaving in a few days time, and they were just waiting for the young redheaded Jinchuuriki to awaken. Kakashi and Tenzo had arrived yesterday and they reported that the area was prepared and the supplies had arrived and had been sorted into place. Hiashi had spoken with young Neji, and despite the boys demeanor, he assured her that he was looking forward to their departure, even if his excitement was very well hidden.

The young Hyuuga was slightly distant, but he had not reached the levels of resentment which he held in the future, if Nawaki was to be believed. If anything, Naruto was sure to melt the boy's icy disposition. But then again, Naruto could probably melt even the most hardened of hearts if he were given the chance.

He was just that kind of person.

Hyuuga Neji would just prove to be his first challenge. Just the thought of his possible new friend had sent him into long spiels of chatter, even as he worked on his penmanship, about what good friends they were going to be, and all the games they would play and all the things that they would learn.

The fact that Naruto himself had never played any of those games was not lost on her, but she knew that he would.

It was plainly visible that he could not wait to start learning, to start training. But at the same time, he spent quite a bit of time beside Gaara's bed, watching how to other boy was doing and looking at how his sensei would manipulate the seal with his fingertips. True, the technique was fascinating to see, as the Time Traveler had to constantly prod and manipulate the glowing seal into the place and the form that he wanted it to take, and at the same time, fix any complications that might arise.

The process was extremely tedious, and seeing the usually active bundle of energy seated close to his sensei as the older man quietly explained one thing or another was a bit unnerving. After all, after a couple of days of the endless source of sound and movement that was Naruto, it felt a bit strange when the house was finally quiet. But the small boy seemed to understand when his sensei was in a particularly hard section of the seal, and knowing just what it would accomplish when it was done, since Nawaki had explained it to him, he could not help but be silent.

Nawaki-niichan had told him that the One Tailed Demon Raccoon-dog was imprisoned in the other boy, just as the Nine Tailed Demon Fox was imprisoned within him. He wasn't entirely sure of exactly how that would affect them during their training, but he was sure of one thing. This boy had experienced the same kind of loneliness that he had, and he wanted to make sure that he didn't feel alone again.

He would be certain of that because he would be sure to become the other boy's friend. Maybe even his brother, like Nawaki-niichan said. He'd always wondered what a family would be like.

Maybe this was his time to find out?

So when the small redheaded boy opened his light sea-green eyes and the first thing he saw was a boy close to his own age, a smile spread across his whiskered cheeks as he leaned over him, curiosity plainly visible in his bright blue eyes, Gaara found himself extremely confused and slightly disoriented. Otherwise, he never remembered feeling so rested, so light.

His mind was his own, freed from the constant murmurs and whispers of the beast that slept within him. His body felt like it was floating, unhampered for the first time he could remember from the sand that always covered him like armor. And as he focused on the face of the boy if front of him, he couldn't help but feel a little sliver of hope, for no one had ever smiled so openly at him before.

It almost made him want to smile in return, if not for what his last memories held.

Nawaki soon entered the room and upon finding the light green eyes suddenly focusing on him, a smile spread across his masked features. It seemed that things were almost ready. He quickly shooed Naruto towards the Old Man Hokage and settled beside the redheaded vessel, helping the boy to sit up before handing him a glass of water.

If this was anything like the conversation he had with Naruto almost four days ago, he knew that it was going to be long. After all, he had to explain why he kidnapped the boy, explain his situation and leave the choice up to him. He was just lucky that the boy's control over sand would not return until a couple of weeks from now.

He couldn't imagine how this discussion would turn out otherwise.

-  
- o -  
-

Things quickly settled and even after agreeing to stay in Konoha, Gaara stayed mostly silent, shy even. Not that he would have been able to get a word edge wise with Naruto running a nearly constant commentary of what was going on, what they would do and what Nawaki-niichan had told him. He talked incessantly, changing topics as if they were socks, and going from explaining about Konoha to how he too had a demon sealed in his tummy.

This last part almost caused Gaara to suffer a heart attack, since everyone who knew about the Shukaku feared him. But the blond boy just kept chattering on and helping him until he was all better; accompanying him and the Old Man to get the redhead some new clothes and things. Telling him about all of the different trees on the village, and what they were called, since he had never seen so many trees in one place.

He would figure out later that he was Naruto's first friend, and would understand that the constant prattle was the blond boy's awkward way of being friendly. Then again, his slightly withdrawn, almost shy attitude could be attributed to the same reasons.

Friendships start in all sorts of ways, but it was not until Naruto told Nawaki-oniisama to help their seals show that Gaara understood that Naruto was indeed like him, that the other boy had experienced the same loneliness as him, the same pain. The cold looks he had seen directed toward the blonds back when they went to a nearby park solidified his view.

It was that incident, above all else, that managed to convince the redhead that he had made the right choice. His confusion started dissipating and he began to accept the kindness of those around him, even if he spent most of his time sleeping, as his mind recovered from his insomnia. But when he was awake, the couple of days before they left for their training would prove to be the best of his young life to date. He played with Naruto, and ran with the other boy, and when he fell and scrapped his knee, he watched in fascination as his sand didn't protect him.

He laughed a full belly, almost hysterical laugh that quickly turned into racking sobs, as he experienced pain for the first time in his life, and at the same time those wounds that his uncle had told him about, those wounds of the heart started healing ever so slightly. Every time that Naruto would play with him, and every time that Nawaki-oniisama sat down to talk to him, giving him a hug or ruffling his hair. It was as if a bit of balm or ointment was being applied to those invisible wounds, helping them heal.

Still, there were wounds that would take a bit more time to mend, as his uncle Yashamaru's betrayal, and his fathers order to assassinate him had cut him deeply. But he decided to drop those bonds and embrace the new ones that were forming; these bonds that took the sting from the sharp pain of betrayal, bonds that eased his wounded soul and restored his shattered mind; these forming bonds of friendship and belonging that whispered promises to his soul and soothed the aches that his own village had inflicted on his heart.

And as they prepared to leave three days after he had awoken, and he had to say goodbye to those that would stay behind in this village, they told him that they would wait for him there, wait till he returned and made a home for himself in Konoha; and because of that, he knew that his future would be a bit brighter every day. And though he did not speak too much, he still basked in their kindness, friendship and familiarity, for they accepted him for who he was, not who he contained.

In those few days, he, Sabaku no Gaara grew fond of the Hidden Leaf and some corner of his mind already started to think of it as home. For within its forested walls he had found a place, acceptance and acknowledgement.

For however long his training lasts, he would always look forward to the time where he could once again gaze upon the serene sight of Konohagakure no Sato. And as the dawn light crept across the horizon he followed his sensei and Naruto to the village gates, knowing that the Hokage and her apprentice and Hokage-ojiisama were following behind them, ready to say farewell and send them off.

It made him grow warm inside, and he settled his backpack on his back and peeked behind him, catching the warm gazes directed as him as well as his new friend and teacher. Excitement bubbled within him as his eyes darted every which way, trying to memorize the sights of his new yet unknown home.

But he was also excited to learn everything that Nawaki-sensei wanted to teach him, he wanted to make him proud and repay him for helping him out of his hellish life. The violet-eyed young man had told him that if he wanted to repay him, then all he had to do was grow strong and make a life for himself, to choose his own path and his own destiny.

It was a liberating idea, and he embraced it wholeheartedly. And he promised to himself, like Naruto told him, to repay Nawaki-oniisama's kindness by growing strong and finding his own path.

When they reached the Village Gates they met a tall dark-haired man with white eyes and a boy about their own age, if only slightly older with the same eyes as the older man, and he knew that this was their missing companion, who Naruto had told him about. Nothing was said as they joined the procession, but as they reached their destination and finally exited the village, he was pulled into a warm hug by the Godaime and his hair was ruffled by Shizune-neesama, who Naruto had told him about, and his back was given a firm pat by Hokage-ojiisama.

They were warm farewells. They had that sense of a later meeting in them, an expected day when he would return and they would welcome him just as warmly; it made his eyes shine ever so slightly. It was so different from the treatment of his old village that he couldn't even describe it.

Yes, his old village, because he was no longer a citizen of the Sand, but a resident of the Leaf. And when they started their journey and stepped out into the road, he wondered what else would this new life bring, and what things he would learn and discover. Watching the distant white-eyed boy, his seemingly relaxed sensei and his bouncing new friend, he could not help but think that his life had taken a good turn.

Who knows, maybe he would find a dream for himself, like Naruto had. And as he took one step after another and the gates of the village grew farther away, he tuned into his new friends chatter and found himself smiling, if only slightly, for the first time he could remember.

It was only the first step of many in the start of his new life, his new path and the vastly different future than the one he would have experienced otherwise. But as far as he was concerned, it was a good step to take.

* * *

_**To be continued…**_

**

* * *

(1) **This is the official name of the Yondaime Hokage as shown in chapter 367 of the Manga. 

**(2) **_Bijuu _(or Tailed Beasts) are the nine giant demons that plague the world. The bijuu each have a different number of tails, and are named based on this number from Ichibi to Kyuubi. Compared to humans, bijuu possess a massive amount of chakra, described in the series as the "ultimate chakra."

* * *

_**Thank you all for reading!**_

**

* * *

Plot Question (CLOSED):** _Seeing that Nawaki has so much foreknowledge, it is extremely probable that he might assist some of the people he has encountered in his past to avoid the path that they took in this new timeline. Taking this into account, I need three such characters that will appear briefly in this story and then more frequently in the sequel. As is, I have five choices in mind, and very plausible ways to include them in the plot, so I'm going to let you guys pick between them and give you an open slot for your own suggestions:_

**(A)** Kaguya Kimimaro. (15)  
**(B)** Sai. (13)  
**(C)** Haku. (15)  
**(D)** Morino Idate. (16)  
**(E)** Yakushi Kabuto. (18)  
**(F)** Someone of your choice or an _original character_ (OC).

Notice that I placed what their ages will be when Naruto is twelve years old. Kabuto is the oldest one I'm willing to introduce, so I suggest that if you have someone in mind that you want to propose, that he or she is no older than eighteen. This is for the simple reason that they might better interact with the younger characters if they are not too old themselves. If you need a bit more background information on the options, wait until the next chapter where I'll post a small summary for each.

Also, the better the reasoning behind your choice, the more points you'll get. Oh! And I might withhold the information on who are the ones picked. After all, I still have a right to surprise you, ne?

I need to practice being unpredictable to write Naruto after all.

* * *

_**Cheers!**_


	5. Moving Forwards

_**A/N:**_ Ohayo minasama! You should all know that I've found myself a bit surprised, not just because of the amount of reviews I've received, but their overall quality. Many are extremely insightful, others are just plain fun to read, and others still have some great suggestions and ideas. Because of the amount of feedback I've gotten, well, it's hard not to get inspired, so you see before you the consequences of your reviewing actions!

Sadly, however, inspiration is not the only part of the equation and distractions have popped up at every corner from a number of different sources. Even if I sometimes found enough time to write a bit, exhaustion, both mental and physical, found a way to keep me from concentrating on anything more then sleep, rest and, well, _work_. Shudder with me here, it's been that bad. It's been _so_ long since my last update and I dearly wanted this chapter to be finished and published so much sooner, so I will apologize slightly for being unable to do as I wished and nothing more. After all, we can't apologize for those things that we can't control, ne?

Anyways, before we get started, I have a few things that need to be addressed, so I'll start with the most important ones:

-+-

**(1)** I made a _huge_ mistake (at least for someone as nitpicky as me) regarding young Naruto's age within the timeline of this fic. I've mentioned time and again that he is _six years old_, when he is, in fact, three months short of his sixth birthday. This means that he is still _five_ at this point in the story. It doesn't change his character at all, really, but I did revise all past chapters and fixed these little tidbits along with a few things that I've found here and there. Nothing major, thankfully, so it needn't be mentioned here.

**(2)** As of this chapter, the last two polls are officially closed, seeing that I have more than enough feedback. As it stands, a new, if slightly different, question has been posted at the end of this chapter and I hope that you will all help me as much as you've already done by leaving your thoughts behind in a review.

**(3)** And last, well, if there is someone out there that is willing to Beta-read the chapters that are already published, well, I'd be extremely thankful, so send me a message or send me an e-mail if you are so inclined, ne?

-+-

Other then that, I can't say that I have anymore to speak of, so I wish you all a good day, a happy new year and a cheerful read! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Five  
**Moving Forwards**

* * *

"The house will be too quiet now," the Sandaime murmured as he watched the boys walk away from Konoha's Gate, three of them only reaching the fourth's hip in height at most. The sight of them suddenly reminded him of all those years of war when children, not much older that those he was watching now, had been full fledged shinobi; leaving with their Jonin-sensei towards their first outside assignment. 

How much had time changed things? Would they have the luxury of peace for much longer? Would the need for children to fight become once more a necessity?

The simple picture of them, walking happily away from the safety of Konoha, uncovered memories and sorrows buried long ago under the cold actions of leadership. And now, as he saw that same sight, even if with different circumstances, he couldn't help but remember.

They were painful memories to remember, at that.

Children, after all, should be held precious above anything else. Something that war had not allowed.

"I don't know, Sarutobi-sensei," Tsunade said doubtfully, thankfully interrupting his morbid musings, her arms crossed as she stood looking at those departing backs, where Naruto could be clearly seen running around the others and probably asking a million questions, "I think I might enjoy a peaceful house."

Her tone belied her words, however.

And as he dug around for his pipe, refilling it and lighting it, dispelling the sudden deluge of memories that had threatened him earlier with a simple puff, the retired Hokage knew that his former student would miss those boys much more than she let on. Truly, they had grown accustomed to them; both to Naruto's endless questions and Gaara's tentative glances. They had looked forward to seeing Nawaki's pride filled face, relaxed and smiling softly as he taught and helped them with their basics; reading, writing and numbers.

He would never forget Naruto's ink stained, glowing face and lopsided, embarrassed, but still pleased, grin when he received Nawaki's approval.

It was amazing really, the sheer amount of patience that the Time Traveler possessed, the willingness and utter enjoyment that he showed when teaching these simple things to those boys. Not to mention the sheet willingness that he displayed while explaining things, with a tolerance that bordered on fierce determination. It was a far cry from the stoic, coldly polite attitude that Sarutobi had experienced during their first few meetings.

But then, it is said that the first steps and actions taken by an operative in such complicated situations could determine the success or failure of a mission. He understood that, and he saw that cold precision in the future Hokage until the final, essential pieces of the puzzle, the last stones of the foundation, were finally in place.

After Hyuuga Neji's involvement had been secured, it was as if he were an entirely different person. It was the sign of things going as or even better than planned, of a mission on the brink of fulfillment. Truly, he didn't even want to think of what would have happened to Hiashi had he refused Nawaki's proposal. Seal masters, as he was, were a dangerous lot.

Whatever the case, though, he knew that this was the best course of action to take.

"I know you will miss them, Tsunade," he spoke up as the departing quartet finally stepped out of sight, "But this is truly for the best."

"The heart doesn't always follow the mind, Sarutobi-sensei, you know that," she sighed, eyes still focused on the road, as if she could still see them. "I know that training them outside of Konoha, where they can grow without impediment, restriction or observation is the best possible option, but a part of me wants to keep them close and help them personally as well."

"If I may, Hokage-sama?" Hiashi spoke up, his eyes impassive and his hands folded into the generous sleeves of his robe, his sights still set on the road. Out of the three of them, he could still probably see them.

Tsunade simply nodded, even as he himself gave a more verbal answer, "Please, Hiashi, speak your mind. You are both a trusted friend and advisor, and indeed, you are always free to express your opinions."

"Thank you, Sandaime-sama," the Hyuuga patriarch acknowledged with a small nod while he turned to face them slightly, as if he didn't want to take his eyes completely off the road, as if the mere sight of it would answer some inconceivable question. "While I understand your sentiments, Tsunade-sama, you must know the perils of training them within out village walls. Information is a shinobi's most powerful tool when used wisely; if the wrong people were to discover their training, and even more dangerous, their _trainer_, it could bring unmitigated disaster, both from within and without."

"I understand that, Hiashi," she answered, closing her honey colored eyes briefly, "but I wish that such precautions wouldn't be needed. They are all citizens of Konoha; they should be able to live and grow within their village, to love and cherish it like every one of us has, like every one born in Konoha should."

"Then maybe, Hokage-sama," Hiashi said, his voice strangely alive, his white eyes looking suddenly sharper as he continued to gaze outward, "Maybe you should make it so that they will be able to do just that. True, it might be dangerous for them at the moment, but what is to stop you from making it safe for them in the future?"

Chuckling, Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, realizing that even Hiashi had been affected by recent events, perhaps more so than he, himself, had predicted, "Well said, Hyuuga Hiashi, very well said."

Shaking her head ruefully, Tsunade simply uncrossed her arms and turned slightly toward the sight of Konoha and the Mountain Monument, taking a moment to observe it and the village carefully before turning back, her eyes once more on the winding road. "I think you are right," she said firmly, resolve settling into her quite suddenly; purpose suddenly restored to her. The look on her eyes seemed sharper then ever before, "We will just have to change Konoha so that they might find a warm welcome when they return."

Plans had already been made to do just that, Sarutobi knew, but finding the inner strength to thread on such a dangerous path was something that had to come from within each individual. Even with all of the warnings, suggestions and information that Nawaki had provided them; even with the general, flexible course of action suggested by the future Tsunade, the Godaime Kazekage and a host of others that Nawaki had mentioned, it was still true that nothing was truly certain, even with the knowledge that they possessed.

Konoha was filled with danger at the moment, and the eyes of every Village were focused on them and on their actions, in one way or another, like vultures waiting for scraps that they could pick up; and they had been doing so for quite some time now. Only their strength, which was still significantly more that any other Hidden Village, weakened or not, held them at bay.

Still, those weaknesses _did_ exist, and a misstep on their part could cause others to act on them; take advantage of them. And yet, at the same time, they couldn't suddenly fix everything or prepare for attack. That would give them away, and it would cause their enemies to worry. For now, their actions needed to be measured; their plans, delicately executed.

The sheer amount of possibilities were staggering, to say the least. They were strong, true, but they needed to tread very, very carefully. A wounded predator, however strong, could still be overwhelmed by lesser creatures.

They couldn't just flush every spy out, either, so their actions as they fixed those weaknesses needed to be subtle indeed. Nawaki had told them that it was possible that there were more spies than currently identified, and should they move too rashly, well, war was the least of the problems that could arise.

A Civil War was not any more appealing, either.

True, with the use of Orochimaru's death, the possibility arose for some of those spies to be captured, while giving them the excuse to become more cautious, but from now on they were faced with an intricate dance of survival, manipulation and deceit. They needed to prepare for the worse and trap those that would work against them. They needed to gain strength while showing weakness. Information needed to be regulated, misinformation spread. Allies and enemies had to be discerned, all while they searched and prodded and uncovered those who would betray them from within.

It was time that Konohagakure no Sato began to amass and refine its strength once again. He remembered a particular, long forgotten saying that certainly applied in their given situation; those who wish for peace must prepare for war. And that certainly held true within the shinobi nations and even truer for them at that moment. Even when those preparations were made slyly, and their strength was amassed covertly.

And as his eyes focused once more, he watched the direction in which his student and current Hokage was looking in; toward that road where the future of his village had walked in and out of sight. For that was what they were, what they would be trained to be; the future hope of a great nation.

"Change?" he finally questioned into the silence. "Yes, change is needed, but will we be able to bring it about?"

The answer he received, however, was unexpected.

"I think we can. Nawaki has proven it to us time and again. From his words, to his actions, he has set a path for us and for this village to follow; a path of growth and prosperity for all of Konoha. A path of change. And at the same time, he trusted us with it; to keep it and to follow it, and adjust or alter it when needed. He sacrificed much to save his home, and has placed his trust in us to keep it safe, to make it strong. The least we can do is to see that we walk that path as faithfully as we can."

These words, more then anything else, finished easing the Sandaime's mind and heart where his new successor was concerned. Not that there had been many concerns there, but he knew that his student had fears and issues left to deal with; issues that seemed that have been resolved. It seemed that Tsunade was more than ready for what was to come. The question was, was he ready?

Whatever the case, whatever the answer, it was time that they start to prepare, for a great sacrifice was paid to give them both the time and the means to give their home a prosperous future. At that moment, he gripped his resolve and nodded, knowing that the future would be full of peril.

"Indeed," he said, looking briefly at the image of the Fourth in the Hokage Monument, "I think it is time that Konoha stopped looking over their shoulders at the past and started facing forward, toward the future." But then, to do so action needed to be taken and if things moved as they predicted, he would need to make his move sooner rather than later. With this in mind, he simply nodded at his two companions in farewell, suddenly feeling more alive than he had felt in quite awhile, "Tsunade, Hiashi, I will see you both at a later date, it seems that I have my own share of things to do at the moment. After all, it is time that I take my place as an Honored Elder on this Village's Council," he stated as he refilled his pipe from one of his pockets and lighted it, chuckling slightly, "and to do so I have to begin my dealings with them rather quickly. For change to start, preparations must be made, after all."

At this, Tsunade's smile turned into a smirk, "Good luck, then. We can meet up later, Sarutobi-sensei," she said and the Sandaime gave a nod of acknowledgement and farewell to them before turning and making his way into the Village.

There was a skip in the old man's step.

Hyuuga Hiashi, for his part, looked slightly intrigued when Tsunade signaled for him to follow her as she started walking into the village as well, her hand straying as if to clutch at a necklace as she gave one final look toward the road before heading in the opposite direction as the Sandaime and the Administration Tower. "Tell me, Hiashi, did Nawaki tell you anything lately that sticks out in your mind?" she suddenly asked, even as she signaled for the two nins that had taken the duty of guarding the Gates to meet her in her office later in the day; Kakashi and Tenzo would need some explanations now that they've seen Nawaki leaving with the Kyuubi's Vessel.

It had been slightly difficult to clear the area of patrols from the Military Police Department, ANBU and normal guards without arousing suspicions, even if this was one of the smallest Gates. But it was not impossible. Still, she was sure that those two would need a better understanding of the situation before their curiosity got the better of them. She had been informed that Kakashi was extremely gifted when it came to stealth and gathering information, after all. Having him on the prowl and sniffing around was not a good prospect if secrecy was to be maintained.

After all, most of their decisions and movements were on record, if very well concealed. The fact that Naruto and Neji were being trained by a high-level Konoha shinobi was there, along with the papers that gave Gaara citizenship within the Leaf. The ninja academy records were filled and in place as well. No one searching would find anything of importance unless they linked the three boys together, and Kakashi and Tenzo had seen enough to do just that.

However, when the Hyuuga patriarch made a motion to start answering, her attention shifted to him, knowing that this conversation was important in and of itself, even as she led them toward their destination.

"He told me yesterday," he spoke without much preamble, probably knowing what she was talking about, after all, Nawaki had only talked with the Hyuuga briefly, "that even though I have lost my brother that I still had a nephew and a family. He told me that few things should be as important as them. That only when I realized this would the Hyuuga start to mend, and would their fate begin to change."

"Then perhaps it is time that you start looking at your Clan as your family and not your duty or your responsibility, Hiashi," Tsunade replied. "He told me that he has spoken with you, but not the content of your discussion. However, he did tell me of one small fact that you did not raise when speaking to him, something that I promised him to look into." She paused in her steps, the Hyuuga compound now plainly visible down the road, "Tell me Hiashi, how is your wife?" she asked.

The white-eyed man was slightly taken aback from the question, but answered nonetheless, knowing that this had to lead somewhere, "She fell ill last year after Hanabi's, my youngest daughter's, birth," he paused, trying to think of a reason for the sudden change of topic, but finding none, "but her condition stabilized after a couple of months. She has been in perfect health since, even if she still tires more easily than before."

Tsunade just nodded, already knowing as much, and started walking toward the Hyuuga Compound again, "In that case, you would not be opposed if I were to give her a full examination, then?" she asked, "a mutual friend of ours has recommended as much." She was not going to say his name when the streets of Konoha were starting to become alive; as things stood, wondering ears could catch whatever slip she made.

It was then that Hiashi caught on. His face showed neither his surprise nor his sudden worry, for he knew that the Time Traveler did not give idle tips. "No, in fact, I would be grateful if you would do so, Godaime Hokage-sama." It was then that Hyuuga Hiashi's focus changed as one question crossed his mind. _Have I neglected the family that I have left in my distraction over the brother that I lost?_

Had the past blinded him to the present?

It seemed that the change that the Third and the Fifth were speaking of, the change that he suggested was needed, would not pass him by unmarked either.

This time, however, when change came upon him, his spirit and heart would not close up due to loss, but grow stronger because of new hope. It was on this day that the change of the Hyuuga Clan started, even if it was not noticeable, for their wounds were too deep and too old to heal by the efforts of only one man.

But then, it would only take the intervention of a few more, for those few would have enough will to change the very fabric of fate and the very paths of destiny. For those few, change was a matter of life.

-  
- o -  
-

It didn't take long for Nawaki to set a moderate pace, keeping in mind both his charges' small legs and their abundant energy. They would keep at a leisurely walk until lunch and then set into the forests and out of the roads toward their final destination. Still, at the moment he was just enjoying seeing the two Jinchuuriki's run here and there, exclaiming on this 'cool looking' insect here, or that 'slippery frog' over there (the one they couldn't seem to catch), and any number of other things. They would run around looking at the different kinds of trees and flowers, getting lost amidst the edges of the forest more than once, only to stumble sheepishly onto the road a moment later, making the small woodland animals scurry around the branches while they took in the view of the mountains and other sights that they had never seen before with wide, awe filled gazes.

After all, this was the first time that any of them have set foot outside of their respective villages and since Gaara didn't have enough time to explore the whole of Konoha, his curiosity more than easily peaked. Naruto was no less excited, of course, and he knew that the young Hyuuga was equally impacted by their trip.

Miraculously, they still kept up with him and Neji (who never left his side), even if they were constantly running ahead and squatting to poke or prod at some unfortunate thing. Naruto would drag Gaara over to 'scout out' the terrain as he put it, his face scrunched up in the most serious expression his young face could muster, and Nawaki could see how the redhead was opening up as he started pointing toward a few things himself, close to an hour into their journey.

It was amazing really, how easily they adapted to their new circumstances. But then, anything was better then what they had been living and experiencing before. Even if it was the four of them now, just the fact that they wouldn't be surrounded by hatred and fear, that they wouldn't be as lonely anymore, was enough for them. The old man and Tsunade had told him that Naruto had accepted the idea of going away from the village to train as a ninja with a surprising amount of understanding, and as the days passed and he learned more and more about the situation, he grew progressively animated about the whole affair.

He could guess at his motivation, but he had already decided to stop measuring Naruto's reasons and reactions with his own. The fact that the boy already knew of the demon that he contained would have changed enough of his perspective that Nawaki wouldn't be able to compare the boy against his own childhood whatever the case.

Gaara, on the other hand, upon hearing what had happened to him had quickly shed any of the remaining ties and bonds that he had with Suna for those that they had offered him in Konoha by showing him kindness, understanding and giving him even the slightest of acknowledgements. Already, the small redhead's life had been filled with darkness, so when this new door opened, one filled with light and warmth, he jumped through without hesitating or looking back.

He could literally imagine the small redhead slamming the door on his old life.

He wondered briefly if those ties had been truly cut, though, and the effect they would have on the future, but knew that more important things took precedence, and let the thought slide to the back of his mind.

He knew, that had someone as evil as Orochimaru done the same as he had, the boy could and would have been molded into a weapon and a tool, as Haku had in his time, and allowed him to do it happily. Gaara would have followed without hesitation; such was the darkness in which he had lived since his birth, that any change would have been more then welcome; it would have been embraced, even if he were exchanging darkness with shifting shadows. However, he had no such plans above giving the boy the support, knowledge and guidance that he needed until he found his own path; until he found his own dreams.

And as he looked over at the two demon vessels, squatted over some beetle or small turtle, poking at it and watching it, their heads bent together and talking in hushed, but otherwise very audible voices, about what the heck it was and why it was walking so slowly, he could imagine that whatever dream he found, it would be a good one.

These thoughts, however, eventually came upon the third member of the team. Hyuuga Neji was altogether too silent, too distant. He did not know what Hiashi had told the boy, but he was itching to speak with him. If altering Gaara's seal hadn't taken so much energy and concentration, he would have sent one of his Clones to speak with the boy, but it was not to be, what with preparations for their departure and meetings with both the old man Hokage and old lady Tsunade taking up most of his time.

Now, though, as he walked silently beside the white eyed boy, he couldn't help but think that he should have tried a little harder. Naruto and Gaara had a few days to adapt to the idea and get used to him as both a teacher and a role model, maybe an older brother; they had learned to trust him. Both of them had gotten to know him and talk with him about what they would learn and do, amongst other things. And then, when he was not around, Naruto had spent enough time with him to fill Gaara in on whatever the other boy had not asked himself.

Neji, on the other hand, probably only spoke briefly with his uncle, and if he knew the clan leader as well as he thought he did, he could guess that the explanation that Neji was given was probably just the bare facts.

He knew that Hiashi had spent his days mostly speaking with the Sandaime, and he doubted that Neji would have cared or dared to ask his uncle any questions when the Clan Head was in the Hyuuga compound. The boy, then, was uninformed and emotionally unprepared for such a drastic change. Only a week ago, he was a part of the academy, and even if he doubted that the kid had many friends, the sudden change of his routine and his environment and everything that he was used to was probably a bit overwhelming.

The fact that the other two boys seemed so familiar with him and each other probably made Neji feel like an outsider, among other things.

And as he looked over at the chattering jinchuuriki's (even if the chatter was mostly one-sided), he could understand why the white eyed boy was so distant. It was probably his way of coping with all of the changes; he was watching from the outside, trying to find his place in the group's dynamics. When presented with the decision of coming with them or not, the thing that probably convinced him was doubtless the opportunity to become stronger and learn things that would not be offered in the academy; perhaps the incentive of learning from a high-class shinobi instead of a Chuunin. Maybe just the chance to be away from his Clan had been enough. Whatever the reasons, he would need to intervene before the boy made a decision on his place in the group and came to the wrong conclusions.

He needed to make sure the Neji did not feel left out.

So he waited, waited for the right time when Naruto and Gaara were properly distracted, and then struck. With a small tap on Neji's shoulder to gain his attention, and a quick signal for silence, he concentrated briefly and one of his _Tailed Clones_ stepped out of his shimmering body, already without a tail. Without so much as a single sound, he placed a hand on the white eyed boy's shoulder, ignoring the stunned expression and transported the both of them to a place behind a bush, where he quickly and quietly motioned for Neji to do the same, which the boy immediately complied with, looking both intrigued and slightly awed.

The whole thing, after all, had taken only a fraction of a moment.

They watched as his _Tailed Clone_ did a quick hand-seal and a _Shadow Clone _immediately appeared beside him. It was all done silently and neither of the Jinchuuriki had noticed anything yet, so when the _Shadow Clone_ used the _Transformation Technique_ and turned into an impeccable copy of Neji, it all happened without either of the vessels knowing, but still slow enough for the young Hyuuga to catch. When the two clones continued their walk as if nothing had happened, to the point of Neji's distant disposition, the boy looked as if he wanted to ask a dozen questions at once, but restrained himself with all the dignity that a seven year old could muster.

Nawaki was impressed, Hyuuga or not.

They remained silent until the clones were out of sight, and Nawaki then motioned for Neji to follow him into the woods, were he searched for a good spot to sit down and talk and at the same time allow the boy to rest. Both Gaara and Naruto possessed a great amount of stamina, but Neji did not, and he knew for certain that the boy was tired from the long walk but he didn't want to look weak, preferring to keep silent.

Even if the boy had been training since he was three years old, Naruto and Gaara, untrained as they were, still had more stamina and chakra than most Genin, and in Naruto's case, probably more than some Chuunin.

They walked quietly for about a mile until they came upon a slight river. He took a seat along a fallen tree trunk and motioned for the white eyed boy to do the same. Taking a canteen of water from his backpack, he passed it on to the still silent boy. And it was that that concerned him the most; the boy didn't even ask where they were going, he just stayed silent; watching. So he decided to ask a question that he had been extremely curious about.

"What did Hyuuga-sama tell you about all of this, Neji-kun?" was the question he asked, making a general gesture with his right arm while his left rummaged in his pack for something to snack on.

The boy just took a final gulp of water and wiped his mouth with a sleeve, showing that he was not as stiff as other Hyuuga's, thank goodness. It seemed that hope still lived on, at least, and that Nawaki would be able to corrupt him eventually. When the young buy finished, though, he passed the canteen back again with a quiet 'thank you' and seemed to ponder the question he had been asked, if the slight twist of his pursed lips was anything to go by.

The boy looked unsure for a few moments before answering, his voice too stoic for someone so young. "Hiashi-sama told me that I had been personally selected to take part in an apprenticeship under a high-ranking shinobi of Konoha. That it was extremely unusual, and that it was a great opportunity," the boy hesitated slightly, as if trying to find the right words, when already the words he spoke sounded more rehearsed or memorized then anything else, "I was given the choice of training under you, sir, or continuing the academy."

He had to give a sigh at that. It was even less then what he though the Hyuuga patriarch would tell him, and even though he understood why the man was so distant towards his brother's son, it was still not a good enough excuse for practically throwing young Neji into this situation without preparing him beforehand and then tell Nawaki that everything was taken care of and that he needn't speak with the boy as he had already been properly informed.

Well, _properly informed_ his tails, damn it! No wonder the kid was so reserved, he didn't understand enough about the situation to know how to react to it! Hell, the boy didn't even know why Naruto and Gaara were there as well.

He had to sigh at that, before taking a deep breath. It would not due to scare the kid off.

"First of all," he started after the boy took something to eat, "don't call me 'sir' or anything of the sort, it makes me feel old. 'Sir' is the Hokage, Hyuuga-sama, or someone equally old or stiff," he said, and was almost relieved to hear a slight, muffled snort of amusement that was quickly disguised with indifference. It seemed that there was more to hope for then previously thought. "My name is Nawaki, as I'm sure that your uncle informed you, so you can call me that. But when in lessons or training, I want you to call me sensei, understand?" He gave a smile at the boy's nod, and rolled his mask off, leaving it around his jaw line so that it still covered the slight whisker-like scars that remained there. He drank from the canteen and offered the boy some more of the snacks that he had unpacked earlier.

While the kid was trying to figure out what to try out first, he quickly assessed him. He noted, first and foremost, the bandages that kept the boy's hair back and hid the caged bird seal of the Hyuuga Branch House. He was of average height and his white eyes stood out all the more because of his young age. The boy was wearing shorts and a jacket, both of much simpler design than the outfit that his future version had worn in his Genin years. It also seemed that the uncertainty of the situation made him slightly hesitant.

He would never dare to call Neji shy. Even at such a young age the boy had an air of quiet confidence about him that was outstanding. It was almost at the same level as Naruto, but with a calm assurance and poise that the younger of the two didn't have. It probably came from learning how to fight since he was three years of age. If the boy would have been able to activate his _Byakugan_ already, he knew that that confidence would have turned to arrogance and that assurance into superiority.

At least now, his influence, as well as Naruto's and Gaara's would help temper that down. The fact that the kid wouldn't be able to show up anyone of the Hyuuga Clan or compare himself to them while he learned would also serve its purpose. He hoped that the year that he had with the boy would be enough to avoid such a change in his character. After all, all Hyuuga are taught how to activate their bloodline at the age of eight, and Hiashi had told him not to bring the boy until then. Hopefully, it will be enough time to make a difference.

Turning towards the young Hyuuga, he picked up something to munch on himself, "We have about two hours before we need to move and catch up with the others, so how about we get to know each other and I tell you everything your uncle seemed to have forgotten, ne?"

It was not the measured nod but the hopeful eyes that told him that the boy really wanted to be there. But if anything was to be achieved, then they would have to come to an understanding, and for that to happen he needed to tell Neji everything that he could tell. Knowing about what he would be learning, how he would be learning and with who, along with where they were going and how they were going to get there served as a good start.

He told the boy about him and how he knew the basics of the Gentle Fist, so he would be able to supervise his use of it. He told him some of the things he had told Naruto and Gaara about how he would teach them to take care of themselves as well as how to be Ninja's. About the lessons in history, math and biology that he would give them, among other things, that even if taught in the same general way that the Academy, he would make sure to highlight certain things that each of the kids should know for their personal use.

Finally, he told Neji about the two Jinchuuriki's and made sure that he understood that they were the containers and jailors of the demons and not the demons themselves, as well as why they were mistaken as such. When he spoke of the seals that the two other boys carried, it was enough to make him open up and speak about his own cursed seal as well.

In short, he made the boy feel welcomed and accepted. He made sure that Neji knew enough about them to relate, but not enough that he wouldn't have enough questions to ask the two Jinchuuriki's. After all, curiosity with a hint of empathy was as good an excuse to make friends and more than enough to tie them together as comrades.

By the end of their whole talk, Neji was looking much more active and attentive, and not at all distant. The boy had found some sort of kindred spirit in the other two boys, and after knowing that the others had lived such harsh lives, even harsher then his own, it made him think of his own past and his own reactions to it. As they stood up and dusted themselves off, Neji knew that even though he had the advantage of years of training over the others, that they would be able to catch up to him with enough work, and surpass him when they gained enough control over their own chakra. But this did not bother him as much as it posed a challenge to him, because by helping the two demon vessels become stronger, he would get stronger in return.

So when they reached the small campsite where both Naruto and Gaara were talking with his clone, already knowing that their sensei had taken Neji to speak with him about an hour ago, they quickly welcomed the white eyed boy back, and bombarded him with questions about him and his family, about what he liked and such. They calmed slightly as they ate, but the chatter became a constant as the three boys got truly acquainted; to the point where Neji, for the first time since he was three years old, and without shame, took off the bandages around his cursed seal to show it to his new friends.

This, of course, had the effect of Gaara and Naruto coming over to him so that he could make their own seals show. After all, I show you mine, you show me yours, right? It was a fairly general rule where kids where concerned. Training scars and battle wounds would follow, he was sure, not to mention the exaggerated stories of how they got them as well. But that would come later as well.

As it stood, Nawaki got to do quite a bit of tummy-poking and tickle attacks in while doing so, so they all had a bit of fun.

Lunch was a lively affair, and he could slowly see ties of friendship build between them. He marveled at how young kids could make such bonds so quickly. Of course, these ties were tentative, new and untested; they were made because of similar circumstances and comparable experiences, but they were ties nonetheless. It would be his job, and the job of each individual child to make those fragile ties grow into unbreakable bonds of comradely, teamwork and friendship, and if he had anything to say about it, brotherhood.

Therefore, it was with high spirits that they covered their tracks and cleaned up their small campsite some time later; Nawaki giving them the basics as he explained the importance of one thing or another. And when everyone was ready to set out again, the Time Traveler made three more clones, two of them taking one of the boys onto its back, while the other took charge of their backpacks, and Nawaki himself taking Neji with him. Without a second glance and a short shout of 'hold on tight,' his clones and him leaped into the treetops and jumped from branch to branch amidst much cheering and yahoo-ing, heading toward the valley where their new home and training grounds were located, at the south of Fire Country.

After all, it was surrounded by forests and mountains, and there were no roads even in the vicinity of to the area for close to three hundred square miles around.

The sounds of whoops and exclamations of excitement, questions and idle chatter drifted through the air as they went at a fast pace, but not fast enough that the boys couldn't look at their surroundings. The fact that he and his clones would sometimes do flips and jumps that defied gravity, going as far as rebounding from, or walking on, the underside of tree trunks and tree branches, made the trip that much more fun.

He wasn't even sure if they noticed the fact that they were glued to his back with chakra, but then, they were enjoying themselves too much to notice such thing.

Still, it wasn't until he heard Neji join in and give his own war cry as he did an especially difficult twirl while falling to land perfectly on his feet that he truly began to smile, his mask creasing as he did so.

It was a good start.

-  
- o -  
-

They reached the surrounding mountains well before sundown, even after having to diminish his speed and acrobatics in lieu of sensitive stomachs, but he carried on nonetheless, knowing that he had to hurry before the path was made inaccessible due to the looming darkness of night. The valley where they were headed was surrounded by mountains on all sides, after all, and the entrance was especially well hidden in the steep side of a cliff. If the dark of night caught up with them, then they would have to make camp in the dangerous forest that surrounded the area, and taking into consideration that his charges were so young it was a risk that he didn't want to take.

The last thing he needed, after all, was to deal with sleepless boys afraid of their own shadows and plagued by nightmares.

"Where are we going, Nawaki-niichan?" Naruto piped up as the mountains loomed ever nearer. There were no signs of humans in sight, and there really hadn't been any sign of civilization since they went off-road. Personally, he was surprised that the question hadn't come up sooner, but then, the boys had been more curious about all the different animals that they had never seen before.

Smiling, the clone carrying Naruto was the one to respond, its voice easily heard by everyone even while running, "Well, you boys see those mountains over there?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah, they're _huge_! Bigger than the one back home!" The little blond exclaimed, letting go of the clone's neck to make the appropriate arm motions, as if the words weren't enough to make the point.

"Yes, they are," Nawaki continued, chuckling as Naruto scrambled to hold onto the clone once again, having flailed a bit at the sudden lost of balance, "You see, boys, while Fire Country doesn't have as many mountains as, lets say, Earth Country, the ones we do have are rather imposing, especially those we are seeing up ahead, which are part of the mountain range that hold the three highest peaks in the Elemental Continent."

"So we are headed toward those mountains, Nawaki-sensei?" Neji asked, curiosity tinting his stoic voice.

"We are," the clone holding Gaara answered. "In between those three peaks, so well hidden that almost no one knows it is there, is a small valley. That is where we will be going."

"And we're going to be training there, Nawaki-oniisama?" Gaara asked in turn, his voice soft as he craned his neck to see the top of the mountains, which disappeared into the clouds and out of sight.

"We will," Nawaki told them.

"Hey, hey, Nawaki-niichan, what's a valley? And how did _you_ know about it? Didn't you say that almost no one knew?" And he was sure that if it weren't for almost falling off earlier, Naruto would be crossing his arms across his chest while he asked this, trying to look important.

"Well, it's true that no one really knows about it. Only the Hokage's is privy to this place's existence. In fact, it was the Shodai Hokage's first choice for the location of Konoha, but the area itself was too small, even with the natural caves and other valleys. And even if it was extremely well hidden and easily defensible it had certain drawbacks that prevented a village like Konoha to be settled there."

"Like what?" Neji asked, frowning slightly.

"Well, I was getting to that, wasn't I?" he said with mock irritation, flicking the young Hyuuga right in the middle of the exposed seal without turning to look at him, though one of his clones noticed how the boy's frown turned into a slight pout. He wanted to crack up laughing right there and then, after all, the Neji he knew wouldn't be caught dead with a pout!

"Anyways," he carried on, winking at Naruto before he did, "The first problem that came up was the size of the valley; it was too small. The Shodai was gathering all of the clans from Fire Country, and he knew that if he succeeded, though they would have fit within the valley and its surroundings, that it wouldn't leave any place for the village to grow. Secondly, the valley was too far to the south of the Land of Fire, too close to the coast, and our borders would have been difficult to protect because of that.

"There were a great many other complications as well, but those are the two main reasons. If you guys want, I can tell you more about that while I teach you geography and history, for now, I want you all to hold on tight, okay? Oh, and Naruto?"

"Hai?" came the sullen answer.

"You want to know what a valley is, right?" he asked, knowing the reason why the blonde's spirits were suddenly down. After all, while the boy was used to people not answering his questions, he had also become used to Nawaki answering everything he asked, though the Time Traveler didn't want the boy to become dependant on him because of this. "Well?" he asked, stopping at the foot of the mountain, perched in a tree.

Gaara and Neji looked on curiously, probably waiting for the answer as well. "Hai," came the answer, surprise written across the Kyuubi Vessel's face.

Ginning, Nawaki simply crouched, holding Neji tighter while his clones did the same, "Well, we'll be reaching it pretty soon, so hold on tight!"

And with that and a chakra enhanced jump, they quickly ascended the first hill, and the next, and the next. Each becoming taller and steeper, until the trees began to become scarce and the terrain began to change and sheer rock greeted them after the long expanse of forests. Caves, alcoves and indentations littered the surroundings, even as boulders and jagged rocks replaced the trees and vegetation. Still, as soon as the crossed that particular ravine, the trees once again began to appear, and before long they were jumping off of trees growing into the steep mountainside.

It wasn't until the mountainside was almost vertical that he saw it; covered almost completely from view, and unrecognizable from any other, had he not been looking for a few specific signs, was the entrance of a cave, subtly folded unto the side of the mountain by the roots of a gnarled old tree.

There were a few ways to enter the valley itself. You could either climb to the top, probably suffocating by the thin air and lack of oxygen, not to mention the cold; you could swim into the lake from one of the underwater springs, that is, is you know your way across the maze of channels and springs that flowed beneath the mountains. Or you could find one of the two known caves that actually came out into the place. One was located on the other side of the valley and came out close to the coast.

The other was this one, hidden by trees on the side of the highest peak of the Elemental Countries.

Should Konoha had been built here, more entrances would have been made and the long winding tunnel that they were walking through would have been changed. As things were, however, few people actually knew that there was a wooded, rather cozy valley nestled between the three great mountains. It was because of this that the place was chosen for the boy's training. Surrounded by mountains and forests, caves and rocky clearings, it was the perfect place for them to learn how to be shinobi and use the powers of the bijuu sealed within them.

And as he stood at the ledge looking out toward the small forest that spread beneath him, the river that flowed into the crystal clear lake, the mountains looming upwards all around, and the small wooden house perched on top of a small hill, well, he couldn't really help but smile, even as he placed each of the boys on their feet, smile growing even wider as they looked towards the waterfall, the caves, the open plains and, well, _everything_.

After all, while the place wasn't big enough for an entire Hidden Village, it was still big enough for it to be considered in the first place. All in all, it was probably a fifth of Konoha's current size, and that was quite a bit, if he did say so himself.

"This, Naruto, is a valley," he said, grinning, "and that," he pointed towards the cozy looking house, "will be out home for the next few years. So how about we go check it out, ne? I'm sure that you boys are both tired and hungry, and you need to get settled in and get your rest if you're going to start your training tomorrow."

And just like that they were soon entering the small wooden house and set out to explore it.

It was really rather simple in design, with a walkway all around it, individual rooms on the sides and common areas at the front and back, with an open garden in the middle. It was fully furnished and the kitchen and bathroom were working, both thanks to Kakashi's and Tenzo's efforts. Whatever else was left unexplored for the time being; after all, it had been a long day for the kids.

Sending a clone to the boy's room to help them unpack, he himself headed toward the kitchen. At the moment he needed to make sure that his students were settled in, fed and bathed so that they would be ready for tomorrow.

After that, well, it would be a sleepless night, but he still needed to secure the area and seal the entrances, not to mention prepare the training grounds and rooms, and unpack the rest of their supplies.

For now though, he settled for teaching the boys and especially Naruto how to put away their things even as he explained some of the different uses of seals while he was at it. After all, they had quite a lot of questions about them once their futons appeared from one of the storage scrolls with a poof of smoke.

-  
- o -  
-

It had been a long day. Longer than she had realized until now, when everything she had experienced began to burden her all the more. Not because of the responsibilities that she now held, though they were a heavy load to bear, but because she started to realize just how wrong she had been, how running away had been nothing but cowardice, nothing but weakness.

Teachings long since imparted, but then disregarded, had started to surface within her mind once again. And for the first time in her life she understood just what it meant to be Hokage. What it meant to be a protector. It helped her to realize and better accept her brother's and Dan's death, their sacrifice. And this understanding, this realization, made her proud to be the granddaughter of the First and grandniece of the Second. It made her grateful of being the student of the Third.

Most of all, it reminded her of why she had become a medic in the first place.

And as she sat behind her desk, finishing the afternoon's paperwork, she could not help but silently thank the young man who had allowed her to discover these things after so long.

True, she had been told of the duties that accompanied her new title, and she had accepted them without too much conflict. But it wasn't until now that she fully understood that being Hokage was more than just leadership, more than simple military command. A Hokage was more than a powerful shinobi, more than the first and last line of defense within Konoha.

A Hokage was more than a title, more than a name.

And as she had seen the Time Traveler leave, finally coming to grips with the enormous sacrifice that he had made, she began to understand. Even more, when she had started to treat Hiashi's wife later on, something that would be difficult but not impossible, she considered the impact that her actions would bring about, for the fate of the Hyuuga would be irredeemable changed by her actions, and thus would the future of the village be influenced.

But it wasn't until her skills allowed her to save the life of a young Genin (a young boy of no more than twelve years of age), that it finally occurred to her; her hands, while unable to save those that she had loved the most, were still able to heal a great many others, a great many wounds and ills. It was something that she had run away from; a selfish act, she could now see. How many people could have been saved by her presence? How many shinobi would have lived had she stayed? How different would Konoha be if not for her grief-filled actions?

It was a hard reality to face, but it was not a thought that she allowed to plague her.

Still, it helped her realize that a Hokage wasn't simply a general, but many more things as well. In her grandfather's case, a Hokage had been a unifying force, while her granduncle had been a rallying spirit. They had both given their lives for Konoha and ignited the fire that still burned within each and every one of its shinobi. They had planted their way of life and watered it until it was strong and independent.

Her teacher, the Sandaime, had done much the same, even as he commanded and directed their forces for two of the three great shinobi wars. With him, the Hokage became a wise and caring guide, someone who everyone within Konoha depended on to show them the way, like a beacon within the darkness of the world.

And then came the Yondaime, who made the Hokage the embodiment of courage and strength, the personification of sacrifice. Considered the greatest of them all, he became more than a hero, more than a legend, and with him, the Hokage became both admired and feared.

All of these things and more were what made a true Hokage. It was the reason why Orochimaru was never given such an honor; it was why she found it so hard to fill those robes, now that she understood what they represented. For a Hokage was the heart of the village, and while each and every one of her predecessors gave the title new meanings beyond the duties that the name itself entailed, she was sure that she herself would one day be able to wear those robes with pride, knowing that she was more than just a leader, more than just a healer.

For now though, Tsunade was content to walk that path slowly, though she knew that it would not be an easy path to tread.

Finishing her paperwork, she sat back, allowing her thoughts to ebb away slowly. If nothing else, she needed to stay focused for her next meeting. True, Nawaki trusted both Kakashi and Tenzo with the information she was going to impart, but they were not exactly the same shinobi that the young man remembered as his teachers; they were younger, less experienced. Tenzo alone was only fifteen years of age, and though he had a remarkable control of the Wood element, he was still only a boy, still only a Chuunin.

Oh, both of them were part of her ANBU force, of course, and Kakashi was one of the strongest Captains in the Leaf, but they were still not as strong as Nawaki had told her they could be, nor would they reach that kind of strength overnight.

Still, she needed shinobi she could trust to perform certain missions based on the information that the Time Traveler had given them, something that would arouse suspicious should they give them out to regular shinobi. Too many questions would come up and few answers would be available. If they wanted their actions to remain inconspicuous, they would need to bring a few more people into the fold for it to work.

Tenzo and Kakashi had been the answer to that question and even though she didn't particularly like it, there was really no other option. After all, they were both inevitably entangled with their future plans, so why mix any more people than necessary, when they would be dragged into it anyways?

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked before opening the office doors, "They are here."

"Send them in, Shizune," she told her attendant, more than glad that they had come on time; with the paperwork for the day finished, she could spend the rest of the afternoon in more leisurely pursuits.

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi nodded at her, even as Tenzo gave her a bow. They were both in regular shinobi attire instead of their ANBU garb, which she knew bothered them slightly, since they were not exactly used to being so exposed.

"I won't delay this any more than necessary. I know that you both have questions, but I can't afford to give you many answers. In fact, I need you to keep what you have seen today a secret to only be discussed in my presence and a few select individuals, is that understood?"

They both nodded seriously, though Kakashi's eye was narrowed in thought. She knew that though the Copy-nin was almost twenty years of age, he was still a very sharp young man.

"Good. For the moment, I can only tell you that those boys are safer where they are and that the person who was charged with their care is a secret operative that has recently returned from his last long-termed mission. There are no records of him in existence, the Yondaime saw to that, and the information that he has uncovered has had a great deal of impact in the future of Konoha. Should his existence become common knowledge and his identity discovered, disaster would befall us. Silence is paramount, is that understood?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" they answered, verbally this time, and Tsunade nodded, relaxing. She knew that they would keep their word, even if she had to reveal as much as she had, which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't all that much. However, her revelation of new information would tell them that Nawaki was the one to have taken Orochimaru out, or had at least contributed the information that lead to her former teammate's demise.

"Ano, Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi spoke up, interrupting her thoughts, his hands in his pockets as she signaled for him to continue; she was expecting questions, after all, no matter how irritating they were. "Why was Naruto-kun taken outside of Konoha? And who were the boys going with him?"

Sighing in mild annoyance, she stood up from behind her desk and served herself a bit of sake, leaning in front of the desk with the bottle by her side as she surveyed both shinobi. She hadn't expected that question so soon, and that irritated her a bit more. "Tell me Kakashi, how is the boy treated by Konoha?"

Silence greeted this question and she waited a moment before continuing, it was one of those things that few people rarely talked about but everyone knew, "With that in mind, think about how he would be treated in the Shinobi Academy. Got that? Now, tell me what will happen."

"…They won't teach him correctly or they will find some way to impede his education," he answered softly, reluctantly. It was a hard fact to admit and something that few would consider unless it was pointed out to them.

"Exactly. And that is why Naruto was sent away; he will be trained outside of Konoha's influence by one of Konoha's best." Really, the brat was learning from someone that she knew could teach _her_ more than a few things, however young he might be.

"And the other two boys, Hokage-sama?" the Copy-nin inquired, his tone thoughtful as Tenzo shifted beside him. It seemed that the young Chuunin was unsettled by the news as well.

"Hyuuga Neji and Gaara were selected to accompany Naruto in his training. It is an experiment as well, to see if a team can be trained together from a young age," she told them, feeling somewhat better after getting this far; sharing of information was always a delicate affair. And anyways, she was mostly telling the truth; while there was a large probability that the boys would work well together, the fact that she would be able to see if the methods that Nawaki used had worked, along with the possibility that those same methods could then be applied at the Academy was indeed an experiment worth doing.

Silence once again spread and she was slightly surprised that neither of the two had any more questions. Maybe, just maybe, these two would be of greater help than anticipated. "Very well," she said, drowning what was left of her sake and retrieving a two scrolls from her desk, "There are a few more things that need to be addressed. Now that you have this information, you're services are better served in other stations, so as of this moment, you are hereby discharged from the ANBU."

They were stunned, she could see, but really, this was for the best. "B-but why, Tsunade-sama?" Tenzo asked nervously, and with good reason. After all, he had been trained in hiding and induced into the ANBU shortly thereafter; she didn't know if the boy knew anything apart from the Black Ops.

So she cut to the chase, "There are simple and complicated reasons. From those that I can disclose at the moment, the fact that Orochimaru is now dead means that the need for you to remain anonymous is no longer there. It is time for you to come out of the shadows of the ANBU and for Konoha to know that another Mokuton user is a part of our forces.

"Above that, however, is because you have now become privy to an S-Rank secret. And though you don't know of his true identity, the fact that you know of his existence is enough; because of this there are a few missions that you are now uniquely suited for you, missions where he will be able to assist you, not to mention that since you already know of his location, and the place where he will be training the boys, you will be sent there with supplies or to perform other tasks where your skills might be needed."

"The hidden valley, huh?" Kakashi said, more as if he were wondering aloud than anything else.

Tsunade nodded, crossing her arms and leaning further onto her desk, somewhat more at ease with telling them what Nawaki and Sarutobi had insisted she tell them. After all, they knew these two more than she did, "Yes. Only a handful of people know of its location. Now, apart from those reasons, I need you out of ANBU because it has been compromised and, though that is being taken care of, I did not want you two to be tangled into that mess."

It shouldn't have surprised them as much as it did, but Tsunade saw the struggle that they went through at that little bit of news. Danzou was to blame for that, though, and it would take quite a bit of effort for her ANBU forces to regain the anonymity that they are supposed to have. Still, it took Tenzo quite a bit to suppress his reactions, and though they were minimal reactions at best, it still spoke of his youth and inexperience.

"As for you new assignments, you wil—"

"Hokage-sama! Hokage-sama!" came the rushed interruption a few moments before one of the decryption shinobi in charge of messages entered her office, panting for breath. She couldn't help but be annoyed at the disruption and would have punched the kunoichi though the wall if not for the sense of urgency she was displaying, "Tsunade-sama! A message from Jiraiya-sama!" she explained, handing her a small and thin tube, still sealed and untouched, and bowing deeply.

"Thank you, you are dismissed," she said distractedly as she broke the seal on the small canister. She didn't even noticed when the door of her office was closed once again, or the two former ANBU still waiting for her orders. It seemed that the pervert had received the Sandaime's message and was making haste back to Konoha, disbelieving that she was back and even more incredulous about her taking the post of Godaime, of all things.

She snorted, storing the message to show to the Third, feeling more at ease now for some reason, though there was more to the message than she was expecting. The Gama sennin would arrive in a few days at least, if he was to be believed, and if he didn't get distracted. They could see about other news then.

"Well," she said, turning her attention toward the two waiting shinobi, "I will try to make this short then; Kakashi, you and Tenzo are to head over to Mizu no Kuni," she told them, handing them a small sealed scroll with the details of the mission, "We have information to suggest that a particularly large civil war is about to break out. We want you to search for as much information as you can safely get and see if there is anything we can benefit from. Two moths from now, or when you have gathered enough information, you are to open this scroll," she explained, handing them a two foot long, rather thin scroll, "It is a long distance summoning scroll that will summon the operative that you saw this morning. He will take charge of the mission from there and give you further orders. Any questions?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama. How does the summoning scroll work?" Kakashi ask, looking at the long scroll a little wide-eyed.

She had been more than a little impressed by it as well, especially since it allowed Nawaki to send one of his clones, which would stay anchored to the scroll to allow for the long distance. In fact, she had one of those scrolls as well, though it was more for emergencies, since they were one-use and rather hard to make.

"Simple. Find a secure area to open the scroll in, channel chakra into it until it activates and wait for fifteen minutes. Should you be in an emergency situation and need backup, wipe some blood on the scroll and perform the summoning technique. This last one is immediate, but will cost you more chakra, not to mention that the operative won't have as much warning, so do not use it unless it is strictly necessary. If that understood?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!"

"Good, then you can go," she waved them off, storing a few files as she prepared to head out herself, that is, until she remembered something, "Oh, and Kakashi? Tenzo? Meet me tomorrow morning in the hospital for a checkup; I want to run some tests, though I admit to being especially curious of your Sharingan. 10:00 o'clock sharp, you hear?"

"Understood, Tsunade-sama," the Copy-nin and the Mokuton user answered, more then a bit preoccupied by what they had just learned. Truly, Kakashi didn't even know where to start thinking about it all.

* * *

_**To be continued…**_

**

* * *

Plot Inquiry: **_While I have the main points of the plot figured out, there will be times in between the major events where I can introduce both short and long-term missions to help both in character development and the showcasing of their skills. After all, its better that you see Naruto, Neji and Gaara in different situations to see how they react and use the skills they have learned, right? _

True, I'm going to give an idea of what they will be learning, but I don't want to only write a chapter detailing all the things they can do. I want these skills and techniques to come out slowly as they use them in the field, where they will make mistakes, modify and find new uses for their techniques depending on the situation. I want them to learn from experience. Not like these training-only stories, saying later that a technique has been mastered only for it to be forgotten and the technique that took up a whole chapter to train and explain is never seen in the story again. I want to avoid that. After all, a technique is not truly mastered until you can use it effectively in combat, eh? 

_You see where I am going with this, right? Well, here's where I need help: I need ideas of missions, tasks and live training exercises to use within this story, so if anyone has something in mind that they might want to see, I'm completely open for suggestions, ne? It could be anything from D-Rank to S-Rank, I don't mind, though keep in mind that High-ranking missions won't come up until later unless things go pear-shape, but that shouldn't happen too often either._

_Personally, while I want them to be powerful, I'm going to be trying to portray them as more realistic ninjas, and not just supped-up warriors that bash heads with other supped-up opponents. Or is that such a bad as wish?

* * *

_

_**Thank you all for reading!**_

_**

* * *

A/N:**_ Its not the usual multiple-choice question, but then, there's only so much that my imagination can conjure up on itself, so I thought that asking for suggestions about future missions, especially now when you don't know what the boys skill's will be, would be the best thing. If nothing else, you're suggestions will help jog my own mind into action, and for that alone I would like to thank you now. 

Oh, and I don't know if anyone noticed, but this chapter was much longer than it is now, since it is half of its original length. Truthfully, ending it in this scene was better overall, and now you can look forward to the next chapter sooner rather then later, right?

* * *

**Cheers!**


End file.
